


Contracts and Deals

by Kalte, travisTea



Series: Contracts and Deals [1]
Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Abuse, Abusive Relationships, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Cannibalism, Dismemberment, Drug Use, Explicit Sexual Content, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Murder, Threats of Violence, alcohol consumption, non consensual acts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:48:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 104,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21867019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalte/pseuds/Kalte, https://archiveofourown.org/users/travisTea/pseuds/travisTea
Summary: Angel Dust, Hell's number one porn actor.Alastor, Hell's most renowned overlord.The two cross paths.Angel makes a deal with Alastor to get out of his contract with Valentino. One thing leads to another.--This story is based off of a roleplay I am participating in with userTravisTeaNearly all of the content is straight from the roleplay itself, I've just adjusted it all to fit together seamlessly. It is ongoing and the story will be updated as the roleplay progresses --
Relationships: Alastor/Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), Alastor/Lucifer Magne, Angel Dust & Fat Nuggets (Hazbin Hotel), Angel Dust & Valentino (Hazbin Hotel), Angel Dust/Lucifer Magne, Angel Dust/Travis, RadioDust
Series: Contracts and Deals [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1599298
Comments: 145
Kudos: 653





	1. The First Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction is based off of a roleplay I am currently participating in. Nearly all of the content is straight from the roleplay itself, it has simply been adjusted to fit together seamlessly. It is ongoing and the story will be updated as the roleplay progresses.
> 
> ———
> 
> All characters, unless OCs, have been created and written by Vivziepop and her series ‘Hazbin Hotel’. This is a work of fiction inspired by her wonderful creation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all readers; this fanfiction is being edited.   
> Just minor things like spelling, grammar, and a few minor details that may have been changed in later chapters/books to fit canon more accurately. 
> 
> We have a discord server open to our readers where we interact with everyone.  
> It's most often the place we ask for opinions, read reactions, answer questions, talk about theories, etcetera etcetera. 
> 
> This is the link if you're interested (and no, you don't have to be active every day. It's a casual server and there are very few expectations)!
> 
> https://discord.gg/gfhZumx
> 
> Our twitter just for the fic is @KalteTravis If you have art based on the fic, feel free to use #contractsanddeals and tag us so we can see it! <3

Alastor was most definitely a man of mystery. Even in his life prior to this eternal punishment.   
Ever since he'd manifested in Hell that fateful day and broadcast his display of carnage to all of Hell, no demon had yet to tell the story exactly as it had happened.   
Not that Alastor was complaining of course, oh no, he craved attention when it came to bloodshed and the more twisted the stories were, the better. He absolutely reveled in that sort of recognition, the kick it gave him when a pitiful excuse for a demon would spy him on the streets of Hell, their faces completely encased in fear. Nothing was more entertaining, and the Radio Demon as it were, lived for entertainment.

Despite his sadistic line of work, Alastor had never been one for casinos, clubs, bars- all that kind of nonsense. So it was by some sort of chance that the demon found himself in this particular part of the city. So lost in thought, the dull hum of a static radio channel following his every footstep, Alastor had ended up here.   
Flashing billboards surrounded him, advertising strip clubs, porn studios and drugs of all sorts. Yes, this definitely was not what he had in mind when he'd decided to take a walk through the city.   
Then again, this was Hell. Anything went and there was no law or general consequence to think about.

Angel showed up in Hell 9 years after Alastor, so he didn't know the stories. He didn't care enough to get into politics either. He wasn't really supposed to.  
In life, Angel was pretty much the same as he is now. He got into heavy drugs and sold his body for money. He ended up dying from the drugs but you wouldn't ever catch him complaining. When he got down to Hell, he got right to work after a brief adjustment period, getting used to his new body and learning his capabilities. It was a shock to him and he hated spiders in life but he quickly learned to accept it.

Angel stood outside the largest porn studio, having a quick cigarette. He was between takes in a scene he was shooting that day. If you knew him at all, he seemed pretty deflated compared to how he usually was.   
He kept his eyes down on the ground as he took a long drag.   
Angel heard the static and footsteps nearing, causing him to look up in the direction of the sounds. He raised a brow and saw how well dressed the gentleman emanating the sounds was and perked up a bit, straightening his back and coat. He took one last drag and tossed the cigarette aside.

Swinging his microphone around slightly, like you would a baton, Alastor looked around the back alley of some large building he'd managed to find himself down.  
"Hmm."   
He hummed, grin ever-present even as he spotted the dark outline of a figure just ahead, the lit end of a cigarette highlighting their face just enough for Alastor to make out as he came closer. The cigarette was soon cast aside, it's user noticing Alastor and straightening up, whatever for? He didn't know. He was simply passing through this alley, that was all.

Clearly this demon didn't know who he was. There was no expression of fear on that face, Alastor noted, and there was nothing that told him the demon was going to run away. Strange. Most demons did, which he again, loved.

"Hello my good fellow!"   
Alastor decided to chime in, grin turning to face the other as he waltzed past, giving the multiple limbed demon before him a once over. The thing that stood out the most was the fact that he was indecently dressed, not wearing much at all and just by looking at him, Alastor could at least guess what occupation the demon held.

Angel, being a spider, had good- if not great vision in the dark, making it easy for him to see the gent's features. The unfaltering smile was something that caught his eye almost immediately besides all of the red. He wasn't aware of the crimson demon's reputation, and even if he did he wouldn't have cared. The fact Alastor had a great amount of power and he likely had money would have only driven him forward, and by the way he was dressed, he could tell this demon had money.

When Angel noticed the demon look him up and down he knew he had to dive in.

"Hey handsome, where ya off to in such a hurry?~"   
The spider questioned, following close behind and slunk his way to the gentleman's side. It had been a bit of an off day for Angel so if he could land this and get some cash out of this guy, his day would get infinitely better. Valentino, his boss, would ease up at least a little. He was surprised he didn't have any marks from the abuse he'd been dealt not long before going out for his break.

Alastor quickly stopped in his tracks, smile faltering ever so slightly at the spider's comment paired with the suggestive tone.

"I'd say that's none of your business, haha! That's like me asking why might a demon-like yourself be down such a filthy alley?"   
He sneered with mild sarcasm, taking a small step to the side once the other had joined him. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea.

"Now if you'll excuse me, good fellow, I'll have to be off."   
Beginning to walk a little faster through the alleyway, Alastor's eyes narrowed at how annoyingly persistent this demon seemed to be. It was obvious what he wanted and the Radio Demon could confidently say that he was, in fact, not interested. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.

Angel blinked a few times, noticing the crimson demon's swift movements to avoid physical contact.   
"Why don'tcha take me with you then, hm?~ Get me outta this filthy alley and show me where I should be~"   
Angel was quick to follow, determined to land this. He needed to. Valentino was in one of his worst moods lately. He wanted to make things better if he could. His lower set of hands rested on his hips while the upper set sat coyly behind his back, finding it quite easy to keep up with the tall demon, being gifted with long legs.

Alastor mentally sighed in frustration, however not wanting to let this demon know that he was annoying him, the Radio Demon still kept up his smile. There would be no signs of weakness here.

"I warn you, it would not be wise to follow me out of this alleyway."   
He stated simply.

"Whatever service you may be after, I am not interested my dear. I'm sure there are plenty of other willing demons around these parts."   
This had not been what Alastor excepted when he'd wandered to these parts. Of course, he'd been offered this sort of thing by demons before, but never had been followed.

Angel slowed for a moment, trying to figure out how to persuade this gent. When he came up with something, he continued to follow.

"You're clearly not familiar with me. I'll do anything with _one_ exception~"  
Angel was pretty desperate at this point, almost willing to throw that exception out the window and do whatever this demon wanted but he knew he couldn't show his desperation, knowing it was a turn off for quite a few demons he'd worked with in the past.

He stopped in his tracks again, very suddenly intrigued by the words 'anything' and 'exception.'  
If this demon could offer him perhaps something other than a favor of a sexual nature, then maybe Alastor was suddenly listening.

"Oh? And what might that one exception be?"   
He asked, eyes shining a deep shade of red, grin looking even more malignant at the possibility of a deal being made.   
This could turn out to be entertaining after all...

Angel grinned, walking up to stand in front of the man in red.

"My boots stay on no matter what. That's all there is to it, but I _might_ be willing to take 'em off for an extended price~"   
Angel stepped a bit closer, leaning forward a bit.   
He clearly had no idea what he was getting into, but at this point he didn't seem to care what it was. He failed to remember this was Hell and a lot of the best-dressed demons, such as the handsome devil in front of him, had a lot of power and could very easily dispose of him, but he was also well trained and knew how to defend himself in most situations and secretly, deep down, he didn't care if he was taken out. He'd never openly admit that however.

Alastor's eyes narrowed. What a foolish exception. Nobody cared what your feet looked like when you were dead, not that he was into feet- no, that wasn't his forte at all.

"Hmm... and exactly what price are you after in return for a... deal?"   
Money was no issue for the Radio Demon down here if that wasn't clear from just looking at his attire. With a wave of his hand, Alastor's microphone disappeared, his hands settling for resting behind his back while the other thought for a moment.

"Unless of course you do not desire money. When it comes to a deal, I've had my fair share of orders to... _dispose_ of people shall we say."

Upon hearing the last part Angel seemed to perk slightly. He started to really think of his options. He didn't have much time before Valentino would start looking for him.   
He didn't hate Val, he just hated how he treated his employees. Especially him. Angel seemed to get the worst treatment of all of the workers in the studio. He loved Val though. It was clear he had a form of Stockholm Syndrome when it came to his boss. He loved Val on his good days but on the bad ones he hated the fact he was bound to him. He had a lot to think about.

"What would ya want me to do in return?"  
He finally asked, needing more details of what to expect.

Alastor, of course, knew of Valentino. There wasn't a powerful demon in Hell who he didn't know about and who didn't know about him. After all, he'd challenged those with power all those years ago to make his presence known.

"What would I want you to do?"   
Alastor repeated, static playing for a moment as he dabbled in his thoughts. Now, that was a good question. One which he wasn't entirely sure of yet. So why not lie for now?

"Just to help me out with some... unfinished business. Nothing more!"   
In fact, his looming plans were perhaps a little more ominous, but for now? This was alright. That was _if_ this demon agreed.

Angel folded his two sets of arms over his chest and stomach, thinking a bit more. He heard the door open behind him which caused him to become stiff.

Alastor raised a brow at that, gaze lifting to the back door of the building they were behind as it slowly opened, the familiar large figure standing in the doorway. Valentino. And he looked a little pissed off too.

"Would you be able to meet me later? I want details."  
Angel's voice became quiet, knowing Valentino was behind him. He wasn't able to wait for a response, knowing Val wasn't up for the wait. He started to back away and head back to the door. There was a clear flicker of fear in his eye that almost said 'If I make it out alive'.  
Angel looked back at the other demon as the door shut with an almost pleading look.

"I suppose I will bid you adieu for now!"   
He chimed, giving Valentino a slight look before the back door to the porn studios closed loudly, leaving Alastor in the dark alley, an old-timey tune shrouded in static suddenly playing.

The other demon wanted details before their deal was made, which was fair enough. And while he was away, at least it gave Alastor some time to think up a lie for his end of the deal...


	2. The Deal

When Angel finished with his work, he wasn't sure where to meet the red demon he'd met. He was stupid not to get his name or discuss a meeting spot or even a time, but at the same time, it wasn't like he had time to.  
He decided it would probably be best to wait outside in the alley and wait to see if he'd come back. If not he'd go out and look for him despite how vast Hell was.

In the time that the other demon was away, Alastor hadn't gone too far, knowing that the other wouldn't be long and he had no way to otherwise contact him.   
He left the arachnid waiting in the alleyway for a couple of minutes before making his presence known, appearing from the darkness, his shadow sinister, seemingly alive. 

"Now, how about we take this somewhere a little more comfortable." Alastor announced, having a nearby bar in mind. He may have turned down the spider demons 'services', but Alastor was a man to never turn down a drink or two from a bar he deemed good.  
"This way, my long limbed fellow, haha."

Angel looked in the direction of the now familiar voice. As he approached the red demon he found himself limping slightly. It wasn't all that bad but was definitely there if someone was to really pay attention.  
"Angel Dust. But you can call me Angel if you want-"  
Angel stated, following his acquaintance to wherever it was he wanted to go.

It didn't take a genius to notice the change of tone in the other demon. Compared to earlier at least, he seemed a little calmer, perhaps more down about something. Something rather serious, Alastor supposed, if it had anything to do with the obvious limp the arachnid now carried. Or at least it was obvious to someone as observant as Alastor. 

"A pleasure to meet you Angel! Please, call me Alastor!" He grinned, holding his hand out for a shake, that cheery tone almost scary paired with his infamous grin.   
As they walked, the radio demon eventually led them to a rather nice looking bar in comparison to some of the others that were around here.  
"Here we are!"

Angel hesitantly shook Alastors hand and gave a small nod. As they walked, he glanced around out of habit, surveying for potential catches or threats. When they arrived, Angel looked up at the place, seeing how nice it was. 

"Alright then-"  
He walked up to the door and opened it, letting Alastor in first, being so used to having to do that for Valentino.

Humming quietly to himself, nodding at the polite gesture Angel showed through letting him in the door first, Alastor looked around for a seat that was well out the way of anyone else so that no prying demons could overhear their conversation- not that anyone would even come close to the radio demon.   
As he walked through the room, there were a few demons that gave him a few looks of anger and fear- mostly the latter though.

"Say, what picks your fancy usually?" Alastor asked Angel, referring to what type of alcohol he usually had, presuming that the film star did drink of course.

Angel followed Alastor in looking around. He'd been in there once or twice a while ago. He noticed some of the looks Alastor was given and few of the looks he was given himself.   
Upon being questioned his attention was drawn back to the crimson demon.  
"I ain't picky, usually I get a tequila sunrise or fuzzy navel. Something mixed."  
Angel shrugged a bit, following close behind Alastor.

"Well, since I dragged you here, I shall get our drinks." Alastor nodded, waltzing over to the bar, presuming that Angel was going to go and sit down. 

The bartender was a known old acquaintance of Alastor, both terrified and glad to see and serve him the drinks he ordered for both himself and Angel.   
Alastor didn't take long to return to the spider, making sure to sit down opposite him as he slid the drink over. 

"Now, where to start." He smiled, those piercing red eyes looking straight into Angels mismatched ones.

Angel sat and watched Alastor interact with the bartender. He was anxious about the deal. He didn't care about what he'd have to do. It was getting Val out of his life that he was worried about. 

When Alastor returned, he straightened his back a bit and kept his hands folded in his lap.   
"Thank you,"  
He said softly as he took the drink, taking a sip. The alcohol was definitely going to help his nerves.

"What do you want out of this, my friend?" Alastor stated simply, taking a sip of his beverage, one of the only times he didn't keep up his large smile.   
"My dear, because if it's money you want, you should have said so before."

He could tell that Angel wanted something more than that though... and he had a small inkling of a hunch that it had something to do with Valentino perhaps.   
The mild limp, change of demeanour, fear in his eyes when Valentino called him back in for work? Well, Alastor was pretty sure that all spoke for itself. Mere simple observations. 

Angel took a deep breath.

"I want outta my contract with Valentino... I don't want 'im to get hurt or anything but at the same time I kinda want the fucker dead sometimes."  
Angel paused, looking into his glass.  
"I just.. I know that if anything were to happen to Val, the industry would suffer from it and with all those nasty weirdos out there I know it wouldn't be a good idea for that to happen."  
He was starting to ramble. Thankfully he caught himself before he went on a whole rant.

"Point is- I've thought about the consequences. I just wanna get out of my contract with Val. Yeah, I'll be homeless but who the fuck cares about that?"  
Angel gave a small laugh, shutting himself up by having a bit more of his drink.

Alastors grin crept right back up onto his face at that, his interest in this proposal clear. Valentino had always been a stubborn asshole, almost equal in power to the radio demon, and if it gave Alastor a reason to mess with him? Well, then the sadistic deer like demon was going to absolutely take that chance.   
The radio demon knew for a fact that Valentino loved to keep what was his on a leash, never letting go of his 'possessions'. And if he could take Angel from him just like that? That was even more motivation to go through with this. To see Valentino suffering in anger. Oh what a spectacle that would be.

And it seemed that the thought of power over Valentino had gotten to Alastor a little, his smile having twisted on his face, features dark with lust over the promise of power. 

"Angel Dust, my good fellow! I'm sure I can absolutely help you with that!" And just like that, Alastor snapped back, laughing in response, sipping at his drink once more, hardly having heard Angels mild ramble at all.

Angel was keeping his eyes down on the table while he spoke, worried about Alastor's reaction to his request, causing him to completely miss Alastor's twisted and sinister grin. Due to Valentino being so intensely adamant and powerful he thought Alastor would turn him away. He knew nothing about Alastor meaning he didn't know how much the deer knew about Val, and he certainly didn't know how powerful Alastor really was. 

Upon hearing Alastor's cheery voice chime through the air his eyes widened and nearly choked on his drink from trying to gasp, having forgotten the drink he had been currently washing down. He gave a small cough and looked at Alastor, covering his mouth with slightly widened eyes.

"You're serious? You're not fuckin' with me on this?"  
Another thought ran through his mind. If Alastor failed, Angel would likely lose his existence privileges, not that it really mattered to him. But then he figured it would be best to try than not, just in case Alastor succeeded and gave him his freedom.

Laughing it off as if it were absolutely nothing, Alastor just nodded, taking a last swig of his drink, the glass clinking down on the table beneath them.   
He liked Angels reaction to his words. Very entertaining. 

"Why of course I'm serious my effeminate fellow! I'm as serious as serious can be."   
There was a mild flicker of his sadistic nature in those words, tone changing ever so slightly as the static behind his words played on, ever ominous. 

"Just tell me when and you can bid your ties with Valentino adieu! It's as simple as that."   
He grinned. "Now, I don't know about you, but ha ha, I think another drink won't hurt at all."

"Another drink would be great actually."  
Angel replied.  
"But I still want to know what you want me to do in exchange for this favor."  
He ran his finger on the rim of his glass, looking over at the crimson deer demon, taking in the details of his face now that he had the chance and confidence to.

Alastor stopped for a moment, looking up again into Angels eyes, his own narrowing. Now, whatever he said here determined whether Angel would make a deal with him or not. He had to be careful, that was for sure. This spider was proving to be quite the catch indeed. 

"What I want, is your help."   
The radio demon stated simply, hands clasping together in front of him. 

"I want your help in something for my own personal gain. Not money, not recognition- all those things I have already and are of no use to me in the first place. I just need you to... play along as it were. For now, at least. Say, your loyalty is what I want, to put it simply."   
And there it was. While it wasn't completely a lie, Alastors underlying intentions still had not been brought to light. And he wanted it kept that way.

"So what, you're gunna help me get out of my shit with Val so you can be my pimp or whatever?"  
Angel was too simple minded, everything revolving around sex and drugs. That was always how it was and always how it would remain in his brain. It would take a lot of work to clean that mess up. 

"I mean, it'd probably be better than what I've got goin' now so whatever the hell you want, I'm in."  
Angel shrugged, keeping eye contact with Alastor so he knew he was serious.

Alastor had to suppress a sarcastic laugh at Angels response. Ah, how naive. Of course, he wasn't surprised in the slightest.   
"I wouldn't call myself your 'pimp'. No no, that's far too crude. More like...a partner in crime! After all, no one suspects a slut!" And maybe that was offensive, but Alastor failed to see that, simply laughing it off. 

Angel didn't care that Alastor called him a slut. He got that every day not just from other people but himself as well. But he did understand. 

And the moment that Angel spoke the words, 'I'm in' an ominous green light suddenly surrounded Alastor, his grin ever malignant as he held out his hand.   
"So, a deal?" For once, his voice was completely void of static, the radio effect seemingly having switched off. His voice was truly terrifying.

The green haze and Alastor's voice made Angel a bit uneasy but he really wanted this. He looked at his hand for a moment, thinking it over to make sure this was what he truly wanted and understood everything he'd lose over this. Angel looked around a bit then took Alastor's hand, keeping eye contact with him.

If it was possible, Alastors grin grew impossibly wide, the shadows on his face deepening with every second that passed until Angel took his hand, the green instantly dispersing around them, a deep red coloured chain appearing and tying their hands together before that disappeared too. The deal was made. 

All around the bar, every demons attention was on the two of them, expressions of fear on every single one of them. And Alastor absolutely drank that up.

Angel held his breath, looking at their hands and lightly squeezing Alastors when the red chain appeared. He closed his eyes tightly and clenched his teeth, waiting for Alastor to loosen his grip before letting go of his hand and bringing it to his chest, looking around at the other demons. He still didn't understand the influence Alastor had.   
He glanced to the bartender whose ears had folded back, cleaning a glass as he watched the deal be made. Angel looked at Alastor again.

Clearly Angel had no idea what he'd just done, but of course Alastor wasn't complaining one bit. Nope, it wasn't his fault the spider before him was naive and uninformed of the radio demons power. 

"Right! How about I get us some drinks, hm?" You could have heard a pin drop in the room as Alastor cheerily spoke up, his microphone appearing out of nowhere and settling in one of his hands as he stood, walking up over to the bar, a couple of demons quickly moving out his way as he walked over.   
He once again ordered what he had done last time, and the same for Angel.

Angel sunk down in his seat and looked at the table. Seeing the look on the others faces around him made him question what he'd done. But by how things went, there was no going back. Puffing his cheeks out and gripping his hair with his upper set of hands, his lower set of arms folded over his stomach. His leg started to shake under the table from the nerves.

Alastor soon returned, two glasses of drink in hand as he slid one to Angel before sitting back down opposite him.   
He could sense the spider demons nerves even before he'd walked over, and now that he was here he could absolutely see them too. And he didn't blame Angel for them either. 

"Smile my friend! You're never fully dressed without one..."  
He grinned, pointing to his own sharp grin, humming the tune he'd just referenced as he took a sip of his drink. 

"Tell me, what gets you loosened up a little? Can't have my partner in crime all anxious and nervous now, can we?"

Angel let out a heavy breath and sat up a bit, taking the glass and downed half of the liquid.  
"Some Jet would be great right about now. Maybe even some Dust." He sighed and sat up straight, fixing his coat.   
"It's fine though. I'll manage with a ton of alcohol."

Drugs, of course. Alastor wasn't at all surprised and kind of suspected the other to give that answer anyways. 

"Well I suppose what a man wants, a man gets."  
And so, with that in mind, Alastor gave a wave of his hand and like a cheap magic trick, a singular clear bag of white powder appeared. 

"Given your name, I supposed it would be fitting." He grinned, tossing the bag of 'Angel Dust' over to, well, Angel Dust. 

Alastor himself had never cared to dabble in the whole drugs scene. It made you weak, vulnerable and completely open in his opinion, things that one of the most powerful demons in Hell couldn’t afford to be. And still, Angel had no idea of exactly who Alastor was. He supposed it would get around to the arachnid eventually. 

Angel looked down at the bag which landed on the table in front of him and then up to Alastor, his eyes narrowing a bit as he raised a brow. He knew nothing was ever free, especially in Hell. He was also suspicious of it due to the fact Alastor summoned it out of butt-fuck nowhere so he carefully opened the bag, dipped his finger into it and put a bit of the coarse powder on his gums to make sure it was actually drugs.

"I don't have to do anything for it?"  
Angel asked when he was satisfied with the bitter taste on his gums.

Alastor just stared at Angel as he took the bag, being suspicious of it at first which, he didn't blame him for.   
He may have summoned it from absolutely nowhere, but that didn't mean it wasn't the real deal. Besides, drugs were almost too easy to obtain down in Hell. 

"You don't even have to lift a finger! It's all yours my good fellow!" He grinned, truly having no malice behind his words. Angel had made a deal with him, therefore had ties with him now. And like Alastor had said, a partner in crime was useless to him if they were anxious all the time. Alastor took another sip of his drink, as his eyes lingered on Angel, watching him.

Angel just shrugged.  
"Don't have to tell me twice."

He took a generous pinch of the coarse substance and put it on the table, taking a small razor blade out of his inner coat pocket and started forming a line while crushing it to a finer powder. He wiped the blade with his finger and put it back in his pocket, now grabbing a dollar bill from the same pocket and rolling it up with a small hum as if it was the most casual thing. He leaned down to the table and put the rolled bill to his nose and snorted the line, then sat up and tilted his head back, closing his eyes. He seemed to relax as he inhaled and exhaled slowly, his shoulders loosening.  
After a few moments he blinked his eyes open and put the rest of the bag in another one of his pockets for later, then finished the rest of his drink after raising his glass to Alastor in thanks.

Alastor watched mainly in disinterest as Angel took the drugs, snorting a line right there on the table. Yes, from how nonchalant the arachnid seemed while taking the drugs, it was clear he had been doing it a while. Probably was too much of a habit to get out of. Who knew. 

"Speaking business, once again," Alastor began, making sure he had Angels attention as a thought came to mind.   
"You say you don't want me to...dispose of your boss. You want simply out of his grasps. So perhaps a negotiation between that pimp and I is in order? Would that be fitting? Or would you prefer me to take a more, how should I put it...violent approach?"

Angel listened closely to make sure he understood the question as he wiped the residue off of the table. The drugs hadn't kicked in yet and even when they did he'd still be able to answer questions and such if they were dumbed down. He took a breath and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Just do whatever ya gotta do. If ya gotta get violent, get violent.   
If ya think about it, he's an overlord and the head honcho for the entire porn industry. Get rida him and the porn industry crumbles real fast. This being Hell, literally everyone takes advantage of porn down here so without it, there would be an uprising of pissed off blueballed fuckshits. That's why I don't want ya goin' haywire and completely killin' the asshole."  
Angel had obviously put a lot of thought into this, having seriously considered offing Valentino himself but thought about what would happen if he ever did end up doing it and succeeded.

Alastor was slowly getting more and more excited as Angel went on, grin gradually growing. Of course, he already knew that Valentino was one of many overlords of Hell, but what he never bothered to think through was the amount of chaos that could be uprooted if the head honcho of the porn industry was to suddenly be found dead. 

Oh the entertainment and oh the inevitably wonderful uproar of enraged demons. But, unfortunately, Alastor was getting too ahead of himself. As entertaining and thrilling killing Valentino could be, Angel had specifically requested his boss not to be disposed of completely.   
And maybe, just maybe, there would be a way Alastor could enjoy making Valentino suffer in a less permanent way... 

"Don't you worry, my friend! Valentino and I go way back! There's no way I'd kill an old friend, despite how insufferable he was!” He laughed, waving a hand over the arachnids drink, the alcohol filling back up. 

"Say, Angel. If this...encounter with your boss were to be perhaps...shown on a wide scale to the rest of the scum down here? What would you say to that, Hm?"   
Yes... Alastor perhaps liked that idea maybe a little too much.

Angel gave a shrug, watching Alastor refill his drink with a raised brow. Maybe this deal wouldn't be so bad if he got all the drugs and alcohol he wanted. 

"I don't really see a problem with that. Like I said, as long as I'm out of his hands and he doesn't die I really couldn't care less."

"Perfect!"   
Alastor chimed in, refilling his own drink as he leant back in his seat, an old timey tune quietly suddenly playing around Alastor as the radio demon hummed along. Things were surprisingly going well. 

Angel paused for a second.

"And if you and Val are such "good friends", how come I haven't heard of you? I've met every one of his acquaintances at least once. Granted I don't pay attention but I'm pretty sure I'd remember that dashing smile of yours~"  
That was Angel's way of trying to loosen himself up a bit. However that humming suddenly came to a stop once Angel asked how he hadn't heard of Alastor before. 

"Ah, well that's your fault my dear, not mine." He chuckled. 

"Besides, the places and events where you most likely met his acquaintances, I hardly think I'd ever be around such crowds. No no, not I." He grinned even more, ignoring Angles comment about his 'dashing' smile.  
"Why, I'd say you're rather naive if you don't at least have an inkling of a clue who I am-" now this was definitely getting interesting.   
"You need only look around at the fearful faces on some of the fools here to see that they fear me. And for what reason, hm?"

Angel looked around as Alastor pointed out the other demons with a raised brow. Alastor had a point. If he wasn't so stupid and constantly on the less important things he'd have a better idea of what Alastor was all about.  
Then again, it was also Val's conditioning that made him like this.   
Valentino made Angel believe that sex, drugs and money were the only important things now. As long as he did his job and brought in money for Val, he'd have his protection, drugs and anything he wanted in return. He wasn't supposed to think about anything. That wasn't his job.

Alastor just shook his head, tutting slowly, that smile almost taunting Angels ignorance. 

"My my, it seems you have much to learn. If you want to get anywhere, my dear, then you need not only think of the material pleasures of this Hell. That's simple naivety."   
He laughed, knowing that Valentino was at least somewhat responsible for the sustained mindset Angel had towards those types of things. The other overlord was very manipulative like that. 

"Once dear old Valentino is out of the picture, perhaps you won't be so careless as to who you take deals up with in the future- if you ever make any more deals again, that is."

Angel made eye contact again, feeling like he shrunk down to the size of a speck of dust with how stupid this crimson demon made him feel. He was pretty ashamed but it wasn't something he could help. His eyes lowered down to his drink again as he ran his finger over the rim of the glass. 

"Hard to say at this point. Not that I'm worried about that far into the future right now. Gotta see how this plays out first before I look any further."  
Angel picked the glass up and chugged the contents back. He was starting to feel the buzz from the alcohol but nothing from the Dust yet.

Alastor sadistically took pride in how small he'd just made Angel feel, not that he'd tell him that of course. But it was rather satisfying for the radio demon. 

"Oh I'm sure this will play out just fine..."   
Alastor spoke rather ominously this time, the static levels in his voice increasing briefly before cutting out again. 

"Anyways! Correct me if I'm wrong, however I do believe I heard you say you'd be homeless after this whole fiasco. Am I right?" Alastor quickly pressed on, finishing up his third drink of the night, not yet feeling it too much.

Angel looked up again and straighten up a bit.

"You heard right. Val provides a place for me and if I end up cutting ties with him I'll be out of everything he gave me. Condo included."  
Angel explained, looking back down into his glass before pounding the rest of his back.

"Condo, outfits, well paying job, so on and so forth."

"Well," Alastor began, knowing that once Valentino knew Angel had ties with the radio demon, there'd be no way he'd ever let him live. Or at least attempt to not let him live if Alastor had a say in it. 

"Perhaps you'd be better of at my abode for a while! Ha ha, can't have a dear friend like you laying out on the streets, no no!"   
Alastor never took people into his home for reasons, however he had made a deal with Angel and if the arachnid tried anything, it would be oh so much easier to end and dispose of him.

Angel took a deep breath, looking Alastor in the eyes again.

"You're already doin' a lot for me as it is-"  
He let out a small sigh, looking down again for a moment to think things over.  
"But, I guess if you're offerin' I should take advantage of that."

He ran his fingers through his hair again and puffed his cheeks out after finishing his thinking out loud.  
"Alright. I guess that wouldn't be so bad."  
He shrugged, finally directing his words at Alastor and made eye contact again.

Alastor listened quietly as Angel voiced his inner thoughts about staying with him. Eventually, when he settled on a yes, Alastor smile grew even more. 

"Excellent, thats excellent!" He laughed, gaze wandering off to the side a moment, glancing around the rest of the bar which had become quite empty throughout the time he and Angel had been talking. 

"When would you like me to put my schemes against Valentino into action? I am a man of swiftness, so expect there to be results soon after you give the go ahead!"   
He chuckled, bringing his gaze back to Angel, neck turning in an almost unnatural way.

Angel took a deep breath. He'd given that some thought too but couldn't remember what he'd decided on. He knew he wanted to wait a bit but he couldn't remember why he came to that conclusion. He rubbed his face and looked up with just his eyes while giving a long winded   
"Uuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-" while lowering his head to put his face on the table. He went quiet after a few more moments of the 'uh'. The drugs were starting to cloud his mind slightly and his thoughts were running rampant into a million different directions all at once.   
Angel soon brought his head back up and puffed his cheeks out, having come to a vague conclusion.

"I guess tonight or tomorrow? You got a number or something I can call you at if somethin' happens and I need ya right then?"

Alastor waited patiently for the other to answer him, presuming that the drugs were starting to kick in judging by the way Angel held his head to the table, attempting to gather his thoughts.   
He slowly nodded in response to Angels long awaited answer. Yes, tomorrow night would at least give him time to think of a plan. 

"Tomorrow night it is then!" The radio demon grinned, clasping his hands together as he looked across at the other, eyes rolling at Angels request for a number. “Oh no no, I don't dare dabble in all that useless modern technology." He chimed in, shaking his head accordingly.   
"If you need me, I'll know." And as ominous as that sounded, Alastor decided to leave it at that. Trying to explain that to Angel right now was most likely pointless anyways.

Angel leaned back in his chair and gave a nod. He wasn't in any state of mind to question anything Alastor was saying. If Alastor told him there was a unicorn shitting burgers and puking cake right behind him he wouldn't question it and get really excited. 

"So, I guess this meeting is done then?"  
He started twiddling his thumbs, looking over at Alastor from across the table.

Alastor nodded again, gulping down the rest of his drink before he stood from the table, summoning his microphone like walking stick.

"Yes, I suppose there is nothing else left to say. Unless you have anything?"   
He waited a moment for Angels answer, casting his gaze down to the arachnids twiddling thumbs.   
"And again, if you find yourself in a predicament, I won't be far behind, ha ha!"

Angel gave a nod and stood, keeping a firm hand on the back of his chair to keep himself stable while adjusting to standing again.  
"Thanks.. for everything."  
Angel stood up straight and fixed his coat, trying to play it off like he wasn't starting to hallucinate.  
He started heading for the door, bumping into a few chairs on his way.

Yes, Angel was completely out of it, but still Alastor felt no obligation to escort him back to his condo or anything. No no, Alastor had plans to come up with. He had to think of which wonderful and entertaining ways he could quiet Valentino... 

Once Angel left the bar, or stumbled rather, it was as if Alastor had never even been there in the first place. He drifted silently into the shadows, disappearing from the bar just like that.

Angel didn't expect to be escorted. No one had ever cared enough to do that in the past so why now? Just because Alastor looked like a gentleman didn't mean shit. 

When Angel finally managed to get back to his condo, Valentino was there waiting for him with questions. Angel, being high off his ass, couldn't take the situation seriously. Luckily, Valentino didn't see the point in talking to him while he was high so Angel was left alone for the night. But tomorrow would be a different story.


	3. The Show

Once Alastor returned to his home, he began to set plans in motion. Perhaps it was a good thing he had sent Angel home high, that way if Valentino did suddenly show up and begin questioning his little pet, then he would fortunately be getting no answers out of him.  
All night Alastor was up planning, not resting until everything was in place so that his dear old friend would finally see his fall...

Tomorrow evening was when Alastor planned to begin everything, perhaps with Angel by his side too. He hadn't figured that out yet.

Angel slept pretty well, having passed out about an hour or so after getting back to his condo. When he awoke in the morning, his high wasn't as bad as it was when he first fell asleep. The hallucinations subsided to where they were only little things like objects continuously changing colors and such. He could function better than he was the night before; to say the least.

Angel rolled himself out of bed when he was finally ready and hummed, rubbing his eyes. He them moved to the kitchen to make himself a coffee and get some of the things he wanted to take with him packed up and ready. While waiting for his coffee to brew, he grabbed a notebook and a pen, starting to make a list of everything he felt he would need along with a small plan of what he was going to do with his career once he was out on his own... IF this deal was successful.

While Angel was packing, Valentino decided to pay him a visit. 

Angel was in the midst of emptying his safe of all the cash he'd made and saved during his time working. He knew he'd need it at some point and wasn't about to just leave it behind. 

Valentino let himself in, humming a tune as he walked to Angels room.  
Angel heard the familiar humming and footsteps, feeling himself freeze for a moment before doing his best to quietly zip the suitcase up, push it under the bed, close the safe and get on his bed with his cup of coffee.

"Angie, baby, where were you last night?"  
Val questioned, finally making it to the bedroom. Having heard the sounds, he thought Angel was just getting ready for work later that day.

"I was just out tryna milk some cash outta some lowlife fucks at the club, Vee~"  
Angel replied simply, trying to seem like everything was normal. 

Valentino's eyes narrowed from behind his heart shaped shades, the corners of his mouth turning upwards into a toothy grin.  
"Atta girl!~"  
Val then noticed a suitcase in the corner of the large room.  
"Plan on takin' a trip, Angel Cakes?"

Angel looked at the suitcase and raised a brow.  
"Where am I gunna go? Ain't no place like home!"  
Angel replied before sipping his coffee as Val approached the case. Angel's stomach knotted itself. 

"So what's this for then, hm?"

"I was just cleaning out my closet, reorganizing, y'know? Put those clothes in there to get outta the way while I cleaned."  
Valentino's eyes narrowed even further, his grin fading quickly as he started to slowly approach Angel.

"So, ya go out on the town one night, without permission, might I add. And then the next morning, you're packin' as if you're goin' someplace? Seems a bit suspicious Angie."  
Angel couldn't say anything let alone move.  
Now would be a pretty decent time to swoop in, Smiles...

***

As the time passed by into the early hours of the morning, Alastor had eventually settled on a decision regarding Angel. Deciding he would be a valuable asset to his plan, the radio demon planned to pick up Angel in the morning to tell him his plans in preparation for the evening. 

By the time Alastor found himself strutting down the streets of Hell, a slight spring in his step as he swung his microphone around, there weren't many demons around at all. Most of the lazy fools were still asleep at this time. 

If you asked how exactly Alastor knew where Angels condo was located, for one he'd probably tell you it was none of your business. But, it really had something to do with the sketchy deal the arachnid had oh so kindly made with Alastor, another one of Hell's powerful overlords. Not that Angel knew the latter part just yet. To put it simply, Alastor could easily keep tabs on Angel whenever he wished. 

Alastor was silent as he walked up to the door of Angels condo, not even static surrounding the deer demon as he quietly listened in for a moment, hearing raised voices. One was unmistakably Angel, and the other? Oh it was almost too good to be true. Valentino himself.

***

The sound of a loud slap could be heard from a mile away as Valentino backhanded Angel, who then fell to the floor from the sheer force of the blow. Angel looked up at Valentino, fighting the tears in his eyes as not to fuel Val's rage.  
Yes, Angel was a masochist, but at this point he wasn't having any of this. 

Val leaned down, grabbing Angel by the throat and pulling him up, the spiders booted feet barely reaching the floor as he was held against a wall.  
"You think you can get away with lying to me like that, Angie?!"

Angel shook his head, trying to keep his panicked breathing under control, the tears finally leaving his eyes as he gripped Valentino's wrist with his upper set of arms while the lower set tried to push the overlord away, legs kicking.  
He had to stick to his lie no matter what until Alastor showed up. He didn't stand a chance on his own. Yes, he was skilled with guns and other weaponry, but he didn't have any close by.

"V-Val l-listen to me! I-I ain't.. I ain't goin' a-anywhere! P-Pl... Please!"  
He choked out, his windpipe barely open enough for air, let alone words. He knew his efforts were futile. Once Valentino had an idea in his head it was hard to steer him away from it or convince him otherwise.

***

Perhaps Alastor's plans would be set into motion far sooner than he'd suspected. But that was no matter.  
Whatever was happening inside the room, it was getting violent. Alastor could recognize the sound of a slap that loud from a mile away, and the muffled choked pleas from Angel finally swayed Alastor to loudly knock upon the door, politely taking a step back as he waited for it to open. If it opened, that was.

"Oh, Angel!" Alastor musically chimed as he waited, the radio static back in his voice as he made his microphone disappear, knocking upon the door once again.  
"Angel my good friend, it is only me!"

Valentino paused when the first knock sounded, eyes narrowing at Angel. It was as if he was trying to figure out if he'd actually head the knock or not. Not only that, but his mind was also trying to work out who's voice he heard. 

Angel paused as well, closing his eyes as he started thanking all that was unholy for his saviors arrival. 

Upon the second knock, Valentino dropped Angel and strode to the door without looking back. Angel was left desperately coughing and gasping as he rubbed at his throat. 

Valentino aggressively opened the door with the most displeased expression on his face. He shot a sharp glare at the crimson deer demon on the other side.  
"Angie's busy. Unless you've got an appointment I suggest you scamper off there, Thumper." 

Val slammed the door shut again and headed back to Angel who had just been pulling himself up off of the floor with the help of the wall he'd just been held against. When Angel heard the door slam followed by the footsteps, he stumbled over to his bed and reached under, feeling around, looking for his Thompson Sub-machine Gun frantically.

Alastor as he was greeted with Valentino's displeased face, quickly spoke up.  
"Why hello there V-" but before he could carry on, the door was rudely slammed in his face, however Alastor didn't flinch a muscle, he simply shook his head. 

"My my, how rude."  
He tutted to himself, eyes glowing a darker shade of red as he raised a hand, the door that had just been slammed shut, suddenly opening with a loud bang. Alastor promptly stepped in once it was open, glancing around the room, getting a glimpse of Valentino as he dashed back into the room where Angel most likely was. 

"Now then..."  
Alastor grinned, an old timey tune playing quietly around him as he waltzed through into the room, smile never faltering as he came face to face with Valentino.  
"Why, I'm almost offended you didn't recognize me, Valentino!"

As soon as Valentino stepped into Angel's room, he heard the door burst open. He didn't dare turn to see what was happening because he could very well hear every little sound. Angel's hand grazed the gun he was searching for in that moment but froze. He could only hope he was safe. Deals, to some demons, didn't mean shit. 

Valentino clenched his teeth, glaring at Alastor as he moved in front on him.  
"Course I did. I just don't happen to care. You haven't been interested in my business before so I don't know why you're here. Doesn't matter anyways." Valentino scoffed cockily, eyes rolling behind heart shaped shades. 

Angel seemed to calm a bit, not needing to turn to know Alastor was between him and Val. He grabbed the gun quietly just in case, and pulled the suitcase of his earnings out from under the bed as well before turning to look at the two, hugging the gun.

Alastor strolled in front of Angel, narrowing his eyes as he faced Valentino. 

"While you are right, I'm definitely not interested in what you do, unfortunately for you I have a job to see to." Alastor batted back, taking another step towards Val. 

"Now, if you don't mind, Valentino, I'd like to...talk with you...I'm sure you understand."  
He spoke a little louder, turning his neck in a unnatural manner as the air around them began to emit a low hum of white noise. 

Angel was behind him, which meant for now that he was near enough safe. Not to mention, he had a gun and wasn't a helpless damsel in distress. It was just Valentino now that Alastor had to deal with. 

With a snap of his fingers, Alastor's microphone reappeared in his grasp. 

"Now...to all you filthy fools, ladies and gentlemen- I do believe you're in for a show-" The radio demon spoke into his microphone with vigour as if he were hosting a show. 

A widescreen tv that was in the corner of Angels room suddenly burst to life, a picture flickering onto the screen. Just like he'd planned, Alastor was widespread broadcasting this to the entirety of Hell so they could witness the humiliation and downfall of Valentino.

Valentino caught onto what was happening as soon as Alastor started talking into his microphone. When the television flicked on he knew his was pretty much screwed but still didn't understand who had sent the Radio Demon. He wouldn't have just showed up for no reason to evoke chaos. 

Angel stayed back, scooting himself further so he was now back against the wall, curling up with the gun in his arms as he watched. He knew he was finally about to see what Alastor was capable of.

Something clicked within Valentino's brain as he had the sudden realization that it was in fact Angel who'd brought Alastor, recalling the deer calling out to Angel behind the door when he'd arrived. A sudden wave of betrayal and fear ran through his body as he backed away.

"My good friend Angel there tells me you and him are bound by a contract of some sort?" He began, beckoning Valentino closer to him once he noticed that he was backing away.  
"All I want from you, is your complete cooperation, understand?" He grinned, moving forwards so that his face was inches away from Valentino's.

"Either you understand what I'm saying-" pausing, Alastor violently rammed the end of his microphone into the side of Valentino's head, heart shaped sunglasses smashing to the ground with a shatter.  
"Or I have to take extreme action. And I'm positive you don't want that, isn't that right, Val?"  
Alastor spat with malice, lifting the others chin up slightly with a gloved finger.

Valentino clenched his teeth, glaring at Angels curled form as the side of his head started to throb and bleed. He almost couldn't believe that Angel, his most prized possession, brought this upon him. Val's eyes trailed up to Alastor's when his chin was lifted, snarling. He reached into the inner pocket of his long coat, pulling out a sliver, heart shaped charm and tossing it on the floor after making sure it was Angels, all while keeping full eye contact with the radio demon.

"Go on then."  
Valentino held his arm out towards it. His contracts took the form of a charm which couldn't be broken by neither the one he formed the contract with nor himself. It consisted of the blood of both parties and the written contract reconstructed.

Now this? This was the sadistic type of entertainment Alastor absolutely indefinitely craved. Just seeing the blood start to seep down Valentino's head really got Alastor going. In fact, he craved more. 

The amount of white noise in the air only seemed to increase as Alastor's gaze followed the charm as it dropped to the floor. Yes, he was aware of the way Valentino sealed contracts with other demons, storing the blood of each of them in a simple charm. An interesting yet effective way if Alastor did say so himself. Easily broken by another though. 

Raising his free hand, the small charm rattled around on the floor for a moment before raising up into the air. Alastor's scarlet eyes narrowed as the charm began to jolt around in the air, the sound of cracking metal sounding out before it dropped to the floor with a clank, a tiny puff of pink heart shaped smoke dispersing in the air around it before it disintegrated completely. 

"Excellent..." Alastor laughed, head whipping right back up so he could look Valentino right in the eyes again. Just knowing the puny disgrace of a demon was afraid of him, well that would have been enough for any demon. Any demon apart from Alastor. No, he wasn't quite done here yet. He hadn't had his fun.

It took Valentino everything within him to not move and protect the charm, keeping a straight face. He could feel a piece of himself break as the charm dissolved, meanwhile Angel felt an extremely heavy weight lift off of his very being. You could physically see his body slowly gain a bit more life and brighten ever so slightly.

Valentino glared at Alastor now after watching the contract break.  
"Well, you've done what you needed to. Now. Leave."  
He stated through clenched, gritting teeth.

Alastor could only laugh as he watched Valentino's face while the charm broke. Despite keeping a straight face, Alastor could still see the anger and anguish in the overlords eyes as clear as day. That could not be hidden. 

"Ah ah ah ah, my dear. Angel has gotten what he desires, now I do believe it is my turn." He snarled, face twisting as he reminded Valentino that this was not the end. 

"The show is only beginning, and what a great show this is going to be indeed..."  
Once again, Alastor's neck twisted in a way that could only be described as frightening, his voice lowering as the reality around them seemed to start to glitch for a moment. And his eyes- cold dead round radio dials that only half framed his face for his smile. 

He took another step towards Valentino, raising his microphone once more and this time knocking him to the ground with force. But the fun was only just beginning.

Valentino fell to the floor with a loud thud, struggling to keep his composure. 

Angel watched, tears filling his eyes as he watched the very being that brought him so much success, be thrown around like a rag doll. And there was nothing he could do about it. Alastor's end of the deal was complete, now Valentino's undoing was out of his hands, not that he'd dare to step in. He didn't want to accidentally get mixed in with the crossfire. He was starting to fully understand why Alastor was so greatly feared. He understood all of the expressions of fear on surrounding demons in the crimson deer's presence.

It seemed Alastor was indeed enjoying this too much. It had been far too long since he'd had the chance to have this much fun anyways, let alone make a deal with somebody. Most demons knew who he was, therefore steered well away from any deals Alastor could propose. 

With a raised hand, Alastor tossed Valentino around a bit, slamming him into walls and occasionally kicking him. He was like a ragdoll or a puppet on strings controlled by the widely feared radio demon.  
When that started to get old, Alastor figured he'd wrap this up.

"And now, for the grand finale!" He announced into his microphone as he took a couple of steps back, gazing down at the beaten and rugged form of Valentino. He was still alive though, Alastor made sure of that. 

Finally, Alastor snapped his fingers once again, a portal darker than even the nights sky down here in Hell suddenly opening, a small ring of flames around it. Slowly, and then all at once, dark tentacles emerged from the darkness, grabbing ahold of Valentino's pitiful form and dragging him in. 

Alastor twisted and contorted his fingers around to control the tentacles until eventually the black hole swallowed Valentino up completely. 

There was a moments silence before the radio demon laughed as if nothing had happened. Complete insanity. 

"Ha ha, well what a show that was! Yes indeedy! Usually I'd ask for an encore but I hardly call that necessary. For now, my wonderful audience....stay tuned..." and with that, the TV in the corner shut off, Alastor looking back at Angel with narrowed eyes. 

"It is done."


	4. Freedom With a Twist

Angel watched as Alastor had his sadistic fun, observing as Valentino dug his nails into the floor in attempts to pull himself out of the strong grasp of Alastor's power.

When Valentino was out of sight, Angel let out heavy and shaky breath, tears running down his face without restraint. He didn't seem to notice though.

Alastor was absolutely terrifying now that Angel had a front row seat to his 'show'. However, upon seeing Alastor's true sadistic side, despite being terrified to the point of white pants turning brown, he was almost aroused by it. Scratch that. He WAS aroused by it.

The thing that got the spider was Alastor's gentlemanly charm. Throw in the sadist and he was the total fucking package. His looks were just an added bonus.

His mismatched eyes trailed from where Valentino was last seen up to Alastor's face. He didn't know what to say. He had questions, too, but his voice was caught somewhere in his dry throat.

Brushing himself down and pulling out a handkerchief to wipe the blood off of the end of his microphone, Alastor then turned on his heels to face Angel, holding a hand out to help him stand from where he was curled up against the wall, gun in hand.

"Well, that certainly ended up going better than I had planned, ha ha!"   
He grinned, looking around the room for a moment.  
"Now, are you alright?"   
Alastor may have been a sadist, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to check up on Angel. He'd heard Valentino slap the spider demon before he'd arrived and wondered if the rather traumatised looking demon was alright. 

Angel gulped, looking at Alastor's hand for a moment before his eyes trailed up to his face, eyes slightly wide. He didn't say anything as he grabbed Alastor's hand. He got to his feet, letting the gun fall to the ground.   
Angel pulled his hand away and started wiping his face.

"B-Bet I look like a fuckin' wreck right about now, huh?"  
He tried to make himself feel better by making a poor joke. He straightened his coat, trying to seem like he definitely wasn't just curled up in a scared heap on the floor a minute ago. There was a bit of a mark on his cheek from the slap that had swollen slightly.  
"Thanks, Alastor.. for- y'know.. everything."

It was probably an understatement to say that Angel looked a terrified mess right now. Alastor could see the mark that was left on Angels cheek, but it was nothing too serious. It seemed that Alastor had gotten there just in time, luckily.

"Ah, there's no need to thank me. It was absolutely nothing, in fact, I rather enjoyed that! Such entertainment, haha!"

Angel gave a small forced laugh when Alastor gave his opinion on the events and laughed about the events. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself a bit more, running his fingers through his hair.  
Maybe Angel needed to rest a bit. Freshen up before the two of them set off since there was no way the arachnid could stay in this condo anymore.

"How about I get you a drink while you freshen up a bit, hm? Anything you prefer?"

"I think I'm alright.. but you go ahead and help yourself to whatever you want. I shouldn't be long." Angel stated. Normally he'd jump at the chance of a man offering him a drink, but right now he just felt like his body was going to reject literally anything he attempted to put into it. He walked past Alastor and grabbed a new outfit from his closet, one he planned on wearing later when Alastor initially planned on showing up. And with that, he headed into the en-suite, shutting the door gently behind him.

With a nod, Alastor strolled on by over to the little kitchenette in the condo, rummaging around in one of the cupboards and pulling out some coffee.

The condo was incredibly luxurious and clean. The entire left wall was a massive window that overlooked the city, which the sofa sat directly across from, giving Alastor the best view.   
He didn't take long to make his cup of drink and before long he was making his way into the small living area, sitting down, an old radio channel playing in the background as he watched out the window, admiring Hell and all of it's bleak ugliness.

Alastor had to say, he was rather impressed with the quality of the condo here. It was a top quality place for a high end adult film star, obviously provided by Valentino.   
But now? Angel was leaving all of this in favor of living his own life. Clearly Valentino had been abusing and controlling Angel for a while, but apart from that? Alastor had to admit, he was a little curious as to why the arachnid wanted to get out of this. Many demons craved and would kill for a life of luxury. But that conversation could wait until later.

From here he planned to simply go home, perhaps walk back very slowly through the streets of Hell so he could see the look on some of the demons faces in response to his most recent broadcast. Some of Hell's other overlords wouldn't touch him, so he knew he was fine there. And any underlings that Valentino may of had, would certainly steer clear of both him and Angel from now on. 

Angel took a shower, not having done much but cry and gather himself together. He got himself ready after staring at his appearance in the mirror for at least five minutes, questioning everything he'd ever done right down to a single lick of a lollipop. Before Angel left the bathroom though, he clenched a fist and drove it into the mirror with a growl, leaving it cracked and broken.  
Grabbing the two suitcases he'd packed earlier that morning, he walked out to the living area, boots clacking against the floor with every step. He saw Alastor sitting on the sofa, looking out over the city as if nothing had happened not even an hour prior.  
"I got a question.."

Turning his head once he heard Angel enter the room, Alastor crossed a leg over the other and placed his half empty cup of coffee down on table.   
Alastor could still see the puffiness around Angels non darkened eye where he'd been crying.

"Ask away my friend."   
Alastor responded, giving the arachnid a once over.

There was a moments silence before Angel spoke. 

"....Is he coming back?"  
Angel slowly asked, his Stockholm Syndrome creeping through in the form of curiosity. But at least he did seem to carry himself a bit taller and looked slightly more alive now that he was free of the contract and cleaned up. The intense weight of the contract seemed to have been lifted from his shoulders, however a new weight of guilt started to loom in its place.

Alastor paused a moment, taking a moment to figure out what exactly Angel meant. Of course he knew he was talking about Valentino.

"If you mean is he coming back to Hell? Why, he's still here. He would have finished falling by now and is most likely on some filthy street corner somewhere, struggling to stand up on his own two feet." Alastor almost laughed, instead huffing out. 

“And if you mean is he coming back for you?"   
Alastor couldn't say for sure, but unless Valentino was an idiot, then...   
"No. I don't believe he will be." He simply stated.

Angel let out a heavy sigh of relief upon hearing those words.

"Thank fuck- let's scram before he finds his way back then."  
Angel straightened up again and headed for the door quickly, hips swaying with each step. He didn't want to have a repeat of what had occurred and have to witness it again or possibly something worse. He sure as hell didn't want to have to see Valentino again after this either. He was out and that was more than enough for him to get the hell out while he could.

Grabbing his mug of coffee and quickly gulping the rest down, Alastor then stood, loosely waving his hand over the mug so it disappeared.   
"Excellent! Let's get going then, my effeminate friend!" He grinned, swiftly walking over to the door, opening it up.

"Do you have everything you wish to bring with you? I hardly doubt you'll be able to come back once you've left."

Angel held up the two cases with a small nod.   
“Got everything I really need right here with me." He stated, lowering his two lower arms again before stepping out of the condo and off to the side, waiting for Alastor to lead the way.

Angel was definitely feeling a bit on edge, but he also felt more empowered than he'd ever felt in the past, more free.

Alastor stepped out just behind Angel, walking on by as he lead the way back down and out onto the streets of Hell. Everything as per usual, was chaos. Demons everywhere, thanks to the overpopulation down here.

"So, back to mine?" Alastor asked, summoning his microphone to use as a walking stick.

He began to lead the way, not waiting for Angels answer as he strutted ahead, a spring in his step once again as he hummed casually.

Angel followed close behind, giving another small nod. He kept a sarcastic remark back seeing as Alastor just did him a massive favor that he felt could never be repaid.

Angel looked around at all of the demons watching the two as they did everything in their power to avoid Alastor.

The two of them walked through quickly and quietly, Alastor occasionally pushing a few demons to the side with his microphone, not caring about the complaining he got in return from those few who did not recognize him.   
Soon enough though, they arrived outside a set of houses, far out of the way of the main part of the city.

Alastor led Angel up and into one of the houses, the lights switching on immediately upon their entrance. The interior was completely decked out like something from the 1930's, fitting accordingly to Alastor's whole old timey aesthetic.

Angel was a bit nervous about entering such a powerful demons home but couldn't oppose the offer given the circumstances.

When the lights flicked on, Angel looked around, closing the door behind him gently with his boot. He felt like he was alive again, smiling a bit as he took in the aesthetic. Having died in 1947, Angel was used to this sort of stuff. Key word: WAS. It had been a long time since he'd been exposed to it as an entire aesthetic for a home. He wasn't complaining though. Not in the least.

"Make yourself at home, my dear!" Alastor smiled, hanging his scarlet colored jacket up by the door.   
Despite the fact that times had changed and the decor from the early twentieth century was certainly not popular anymore, especially down in Hell, you could tell that what Alastor had in his home was still in perfect condition and of luxurious quality. He was a man of class and style after all.

Not knowing absolutely anything about Angels past, Alastor was surprised at the slight smile he caught on the arachnids face upon looking around his home. Then again, Alastor hadn’t exactly known Angel long enough to find out about when he died or what his life before Hell was like.

Angel gave a nod as he made his way through the house a bit further.

"Two questions. One: where do you want me to put my shit?- and two: are there any rules I need to know about?" Angel asked, taking another look around before focusing on Alastor.   
He knew he gave off a much different persona compared to his death year, while a lot of the demons down here still acted and dressed as they did during their time. He wouldn't reveal anything unless specifically asked about any of it though. Angel was an open book to anyone willing to read as long as they showed genuine interest, which he had a feeling Alastor didn't give a damn about. 

Yes, it was true. Alastor usually couldn't have cared less about a demons past life, or who they were. It didn't matter when they were down here in Hell, labelled a filthy sinner for eternity and rightly so. But with Angel? Well, Alastor was still intrigued to know for one how he got reeled into a contract with Valentino. Everything else he wasn't bothered by. If Angel wanted to tell him eventually then so be it. But that one little piece of unknown information had really been eating away at the other and he wasn't exactly sure why.

"Why, I have a spare room just upstairs! I do hope you don't mind all the decor from the good ol' days, it's something of a stylistic choice you see, ha ha!" 

Alastor's laugh was mildly forced as he pointed to the stairs, thinking about Angels second question. "You are free to go wherever you wish, just know that my room is one hundred percent out of bounds for any demon who wishes to keep their head." 

He quickly spoke with a toothy and unsettling smile, as if he hadn't just indirectly threatened Angel with a beheading if he entered his room.

Angel's smile seemed to grow ever so slightly.   
"No, I actually miss this sorta stuff. Had a lotta good times back then so it's actually pretty... um... calming? I dunno what the word I'm lookin' for is-"  
Angel replied to the first part while he waited for Alastor to reply to the second question. 

Upon the answer, Angel could only shrug his shoulders. That would be easy enough to manage- or so he assumed.  
"If ya think of any other rules lemme know. Now uh- be a gentleman and show a lady to her room?"

Angel didn't want to accidentally go into Alastor's room within the first five minutes of being there. Though, it did make him incredibly curious as to what this powerful being was hiding. But after that single thought, he realized how utterly stupid that would be- to break the one and only rule he'd given as well as the fact that he didn't doubt for a second that Alastor wouldn't hesitate in erasing his existence immediately. 

Alastor had to admit, he was surprised at that. He just presumed Angel had died at a much more recent time, judging from the outfits he wore, not to mention his line of un-classy work and the modern condo he used to live in. Alastor on the other hand could never get used to all the new inventions of the modern age, brought down to Hell.

The radio demon said nothing more, simply lead the way up a set of wooden stairs, snapping his fingers so that Angels luggage floated up behind them, saving him any work. 

"I did not know you were familiar with such a dated aesthetic." He piped up, leading Angel to a room on the left, opening the door for the other to go in.   
“Tell me, when did you die exactly?"

Angel let his bags go when they started to float, raising a brow as he followed close behind Alastor as he started up the stairs.  
“I died in '47. One helluva time, lemme tell ya."  
He held back a small laugh, thinking about all the fun he'd had while alive.   
"Would it be rude for me to ask the same question?"

He was curious now that they were on that topic.

Unfortunately Alastor didn't quite make it to the forties, however that didn't mean he didn't know about it.  
It was interesting though, to know that Angel had been alive around the same time period as him.  
“Why, I died in the wonderful year of 1933! Ha ha, nothing like the thirties." 

He laughed, not finding the question rude at all. In fact, Alastor almost enjoyed talking about himself. He had a bit of a ego that was only fueled by questions about himself. 

Angel should have guessed by the way Alastor presented himself as well as his place of residence. That specific year wasn't the best for Angel. It held a lot of issues for him. But, there was also some sort of silver lining. 

"The 30's were great! Used to love goin' out dancin' from time to time, Jazz playin', people singin'- kinda miss it actually."  
And Angel wasn't lying either. He missed going out for drinks and dancing before his life went to utter shit.

"Another question for ya: where abouts didja live? We mighta crossed paths at some point."

And now it seemed that Alastor was mildly intrigued. Yes, he would definitely consider himself a fan of music, sharing a sort of love towards the tunes of the twenties and thirties.

“I must admit, the fact that Hell isn't the most musical of places is rather a shame. I did enjoy the music way back when!” He laughed, genuinely smiling at that, no sarcasm in his voice or anything.

At Angels second question though, Alastor just shook his head, raising a slight eyebrow.   
“I hardly doubt we would have done, my dear. I lived in New Orleans, however I suppose you could say I traveled around quite a fair bit in my time."

Angel finally entered the room and looked around while Alastor spoke, smiling a bit at the fact that the bedroom was no exception for the theme to fade.

"I was there once I think. Wasn't for very long. I was born, raised and died in New York. Traveled a bit whenever I had the chance but that wasn't often." Angel explained with a shrug. He walked over to the bed and sat, pulling his phone out of his pocket to quickly check the time. Puffing his cheeks out a bit, he put it back before rubbing at his booted legs a bit with his four hands.

As Angel entered the room, Alastor brought his luggage in before moving back so he was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame slightly. 

Yes, Alastor had figured Angel was from around those parts of America, the accent almost gave it away.   
"Unfortunately I never did get to see the wonders of New York."   
Alastor added, a few memories of his life resurfacing after a long while of not having thought about them.

Not wanting to think about that now, Alastor shook his head for a moment, looking across at Angel as he clasped his hands together.   
"Right, well I'll let you settle in. If you need me, I'll be just down in the lounge!"

Angel saw something in Alastor's eyes just before he started shaking his head. He wasn't sure what it was or how to describe it but he wasn't about to pry.

The spider gave a small nod and grabbed his suitcases.

"I don't think I'll be very long so I'll meet ya down there in a bit."  
He stated and popped one of the cases open, it’s contend filled with a mix of his clothes and a few different guns paired with ammunition. He started humming a tune from the 30's as he unpacked and got settled.

Nodding in response, Alastor stepped out, quietly closing the door behind him. Staying there for just a moment, he couldn't help but smile at the dull hum of a familiar tune Angel hummed that he just caught the beginnings of as he walked away.

Making his way slowly back downstairs, Alastor took a seat in his armchair in the lounge, leg crossing over the other as he briefly closed his eyes, the gramophone on a table in the corner of the room suddenly bursting to life, the exact tune that Angel had been humming upstairs, starting up, the grainy sound filling the room.

Angel continued to hum the tune, listening as Alastor made his way back down the stairs. His humming stopped when he heard the tune being played downstairs.

"Good ol' Muskrat Ramble."  
Angel muttered to himself gently as he began to hum along to the tune playing below him while continuing to unpack, hanging his clothes in the closet along with his weaponry on the closet floor. He put the second suitcase under the bed and took one last look around before leaving the room. He closed the door behind him and took note of where his room was so he wouldn't accidentally go in the one room he wasn't supposed to.

Angel hummed to the tune as he made his way back downstairs, walking over to the sofa and flopping down onto it, hugging one of the throw pillows.

Alastor quickly opened his eyes, smile returning as he heard Angel walking down the stairs and making his way into the lounge. Slowly silencing his humming, the upbeat tune of the Muskrat Ramble still playing on in the background, Alastor turned to Angel, watching as he flopped down on one of the chairs. He supposed now would be a good time to ask any questions he had for the arachnid.

"I hope you don't mind me asking,"   
He began in a tone that suggested that even if Angel did mind, Alastor was going to ask anyways. 

"But I'm afraid I still can't get my head quite around why exactly you wanted to leave the grasps of Valentino and your contract. Aside from the blatant abuse he subjected you to, then again that comes from most demons down here in Hell, you had it made, I'd say. Coming from someone who has absolutely no interest in your line of work, of course."

Angel shifted to look at Alastor and look attentive as Alastor spoke. He was willing to answer any of the questions Alastor had. Didn't matter what the question was. Well... there was one question he wouldn't answer but he had high doubts it would even cross his mind.

"I know how good I had it, but for course there are downsides to literally everything."  
He began, his eyes moving down to the floor.

"Dunno how detailed ya want me to get but the short story being: he was abusive to the point of breaking bones, didn't actually pay me jack shit, offered my services to some of the worst kinds of people that I wasn't allowed to decline, forced himself onto me on a daily basis, took everything out on me, never gave me the praise I should have gotten, he-"  
Angel paused and took a deep breath as he ran a hand through his hair. 

"...okay so that isn't very short. And that ain't even the entire list. I just didn't know how much longer I could go before I ended up running out in the middle of the next extermination and begging for death, ya know?”

Alastor could almost imagine it in his mind from the way Angel told it. Yes, the unfortunate cycle of abuse down here in Hell was rather entertaining and perhaps concerning to those who bothered to care. Which was next to no one.  
But still, Alastor listened long and hard, satisfied with the answers Angel had given him. Of course, it made sense now that it had been told. 

Everyone down here was a bad person, some a hell of a lot worse than others, but even Alastor could recognize when violence was unfair. Of course, that was complete hypocrisy on his end, but Alastor didn't bother to take any of his own victims into account during this. There were too many to count anyways.

But as he listened on, the upbeat song on the gramophone coming to a pause, he felt his insides twisting in such a way he was unfamiliar with.   
Was this an inkling of...sympathy? Something that the radio demon was sure he couldn't feel anymore. But perhaps hearing of Angels past struggles proved his theory wrong, even if in the most minuscule and slightest way. Whatever it was, Alastor did not like it one bit. In fact, he didn't like it so much so, that he found himself frowning- smile suddenly not present upon his face.

Angel's eyes were still on the floor, memories flooding his mind from some of the things he was forced into, many of which were not consented to, having made the memories worse. His stare became blank for a few moments before he took another breath and shook his head.  
"But I'm outta that mess now, thanks to you. And literally anything you want that I can provide will always be done without question. There ain't anything I can do to repay you for this."

Angel gave a small smile and glanced over at Alastor, he had to admit he looked very odd without his smile. He hadn't known for Alastor for very long but he had yet to see him without it. Until know. 

"I really. REALLY. Can't thank you enough."  
He added on, hugging the throw pillow a bit tighter as he brought his knees up to his chest.

Alastor's face quickly lit up again, smile pushing his features up again as he listened to Angels continuous thanks. "No need to thank me too much, Angel. After all, I only did it as apart of our little deal." He thought he'd remind him that since it wasn't just a free favor. Free favors didn't exist down in Hell after all.

His gaze trailed down to the pillow that Angel hugged tightly with his long limbs. How odd.   
"I suppose you'll want to know when I'll be wanting you to fulfill your end of the deal, hm?" Alastor thought he'd push the conversation in that direction, thinking that the arachnid would at least like to know.

Angel nodded eagerly upon the question. He was almost desperate to repay his savior.  
"I would very much like to know what and when. Keep that one exception in mind though-"

Of course, he had his high doubts that Alastor would ever make such a request to go against his exception, but thought it would be wise to remind him seeing as he was so full of surprises. He adjusted his position on the couch slightly.

Alastor nodded in response, almost laughing at that. "No no no, clearly you still don't know me at all!" He spoke with slight surprise, leaning back in his chair a bit. "I've said it once and I'll say it again, my friend. Your feet do not interest me one bit, to put it simply."

But that aside, if there was anything that Alastor was interested in doing, then it was most certainly letting Angel into the so far shallow depths of his plans. "I just want your assistance in the demise of a certain demon. And like I mentioned when we made our deal, your loyalty alongside." He smiled as if it was nothing, but in fact it was definitely more than nothing. If Alastor wanted another's help for taking out a demon, then it was most certainly not nothing.

Angel put the pillow aside and put his feet on the floor again, leaning forward slightly in Alastor's direction. He was heavily intrigued and wanted all of the details. Bringing someone down was exactly what he needed right now. Being free again brought him so much more energy and willingness to participate in just about anything because he had his free will back.

"You have my word. I'm with ya 100% no matter what. Is this something you've already got planned out and just need a partner or are ya still workin' out the kinks? Either way I'm more than willing to help any way I can."

Oh boy, Angel had no idea what he was getting into (again) and it definitely showed.

Yes, if there was one thing that was definitely a benefit to having Angel around, then it was undoubtedly his willingness to do just about anything. Whether that came about due to his line or work or perhaps it was just his nature, Alastor didn't know. Nor did he care. Angel was willing and that was all that mattered to the radio demon.

"I'd say it's a fair few days away from being a fully fledged plan of action, but it's certainly getting there." Alastor began cheerfully, nodding once more.   
"However, if you're really looking for some action immediately, then I don't see why a little chaos can't be caused down at, say, the old casino, haha." It was merely a suggestion, however now that Alastor thought about it, maybe it would do Angel some good. Go to the casino, play a couple rounds of something and then end the night with a boom? Quite literally?   
"I can see you're just itching for some action my dear! And I don't want to disappoint."

Angel's eyes seemed to light up at the suggestion. That sounded absolutely perfect to him. He was ready to take on God if it came to it. He wasn't sure if he'd win but god damn that would satisfy the rush he so desperately wanted and needed to feel.

"That sounds like a great time!! Oh god please, let's do it!"  
Angel started to sound like a kid getting excited over being offered some ice cream or something along those lines. His body language giving off the same vibe as he patted his legs excitedly with all four of his visible hands.

Alastor had to admit, his work had been a bit mundane as of late- big plans aside, he hadn't actually had any real entertainment. Sure, the whole thing with Valentino was fun and all, but there was no real permanent damage done there. Alastor needed to revel in some carnage, hell, he really craved some proper bloodshed right about now.

He could see that Angel clearly liked that idea which was a bonus. In fact, he was maybe a little too excited, but Alastor couldn't really blame him. "Brilliant! Oh the entertainment! The immorality! Ha ha, I'm sure it doesn't get much better than that." Alastor spoke with his own enthusiasm, quickly getting up from his seat and turning to the other. "I trust you have your own weaponry?"

Angel leaned back into the couch, bringing his legs up and started kicking excitedly, all four arms to his chest, shaking slightly. The pure joy and excitement was clear as day as Angel contained a shrill of true elation.

"Yyyyyyyyyyes!!"  
With that, his arms and legs extended as if to show his growing excitement.  
He quickly got up and started up the stairs, scrambling like an over excited, sugar pumped child. He had big plans as he ran into his room and shut the door and ran to his closet, starting to get changed into something he'd wanted to flaunt for a long while but never got the chance.

Angels excitement was definitely apparent as Alastor listened to the echo of his feet running up the stairs, bedroom door closing quickly.   
"Ah, yes. I'm sure this will work just fine." He grinned to himself, and unlike Angel, he slowly waltzed up the stairs to his own room, wanting to change out of his best suit to avoid any inevitable stains of carnage that were to come.


	5. The Casino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _⚠️Warning⚠️ ___  
>  **This chapter contains graphic descriptions of gore and violence. Continue reading at your own risk :) ******

Soon enough Alastor was ready, the hum of a static filled tune escaping his lips as he flicked his room door open, stepping out with his microphone in hand. Oh, what fun this was going to be indeed...

Angel was nearly ready by that point, just putting the final touches to his makeup before pulling his long strawberry blonde wig on. He made sure he looked exactly as he imagined himself to look, before grabbing his guns and starting to hide them on himself along with ammunition, all while humming another tune.

When Angel was ready, which wasn't long after Alastor, he fluffed up his chest and opened the door, stepping out in a long, red sequined dress that featured a sweetheart neckline, a slit on his right leg reaching just under his hip and a very low back. With how exposed he was, you'd expect to see at least some hint of a weapon, but he did such an amazing job at hiding things, you wouldn't suspect anything unless he pulled it out of his ass- literally. In addition, he still had the third set of arms that he kept hidden, meaning he could still hold smaller objects if he wanted to.

Angel turned to Alastor with a wide grin.

"Shall we?~"

Having not known a thing about the debauchery of Angel Dust as an adult film star figure, it was no wonder that Alastor was definitely surprised to see Angel Dust exiting his room, presenting as a female. Of course, the arachnid had always been rather feminine in the way he dressed, but this was definitely surprising- in a good way of course, Alastor wasn't one to judge and Angel's outfit was rather convincing.

Alastor himself was dressed not in his usual pinstriped suit, but one that was a complete scarlet color. He supposed he somewhat matched Angel's outfit without meaning to.

Alastor may have been a bit of a psychopath, but that didn't mean he wasn't a gentleman. Holding out his arm for the other to take, microphone in his other hand, the two of them began their descent downstairs.

Upon seeing Alastor's new attire, Angel couldn't help but look him up and down. The suit made him all the more delicious looking. And when Alastor offered his arm, Angel just about melted into a puddle right there. The gentlemanly act always seemed to swipe his legs right out from under him.  
He managed to keep his composure and took Alastor's arm, descending the stairs with the handsome Radio Demon at his side.

Angel definitely carried himself taller and with more energy than when the two had first met. Having his essence back was a great feeling that Angel didn't want to lose again. If you thought he was naive now, you'd be amazed (or maybe not) to know that he was actually smarter now than when he'd first arrived in Hell.

"I'd say we look rather dashing, wouldn't you?" Alastor piped up upon them reaching the bottom of the stairs. "Now, shall we walk or get a ride?" He asked the other, raising a brow.

Alastor had his secretive ways with most things, and cashing in a favor to get them a driver was something that was entirely possibly. Unbeknownst to Angel, Alastor had quite a fair few demons that still owed him favors and absolutely would be more than willing to help him out. After all, they had no choice.

Angel nodded in agreement at Alastor's statement about them looking good. He flipped a bit of hair out of his face to expose his left dark-sclera'd eye, casting his gaze upwards in thought.

"I don't really mind either way, I got legs that work just fine, but if you'd prefer to get a ride I ain't gunna complain."

He shrugged his shoulders, bringing his eyes back to Alastor, his long lashes batting.

Alastor hummed in response, thinking about it carefully. He supposed by walking, he could ingest all the fresh faces of terror on the demons who'd witnessed his most recent stunt with Valentino. Yes, that was quite an advantage to walking.

"We shall walk then!"  
Alastor quickly concluded, waving his hand as the front door opened to the violent streets of Hell.

He knew that one of the biggest and most famous casinos in Hell wasn't too far a walk away, and regardless of what time of day it was, the casino was always bustling with hopeful and foolish demons. He was pretty sure some of them practically lived at the place, not stopping the gambling even if it killed them for a second time. Well, it seemed that today those lowlifes would certainly be in luck...

Angel grinned and waltzed out to the streets, humming happily as he pulled Alastor along. He kept his two arms linked with his single arm as they walked, keeping the pace with Alastor. He let him lead the way seeing as he seemed to know where he was going.

The spider was really excited to get this show on the road. He really couldn't wait to empty a few rounds into some poor fucks body.

***

Alastor was all smiles as they walked, occasional old laugh tracks playing when he would spot a demon cowering in fear or running away- even both, which was definitely an added bonus.

Soon enough though, the amount of scared shitless demons lowered as they came closer to the heart of the city. The casino was just up ahead, flashing lights from billboards, demon scum fighting on the street sides- it was amazing!

"Here we are my friend! Lucifer's very own casino! What a great place to taunt some lowlifes by blowing their brains out, ha ha!"

Angel's dress sparkled in the flashing lights as they drew closer. He had absolutely no problem with the cowards watching them closely. In fact, he loved the look in their eyes. He was starting to understand why Alastor enjoyed this so much. To be feared seemed to give a sense of power like no other and Angel was all for it. After feeling so small and irrelevant for so long, this was a pleasant change. It didn't matter to Angel that he wasn't the one they were afraid of, though they really should have been. Angel was blood thirsty and had a lot of pent up emotions he needed to get out.

The moment they entered the casino, Alastor could already feel some eyes on them. A wolf whistle rung out from somewhere in the luxurious entrance, one the radio demon could only assume and hope was directed towards Angel.

Angel's ladylike act came into full play when they entered the casino. The wolf whistle only brought it out more, feeding his ego as he now knew he was playing his part incredibly well.

The interior of this place was very grand indeed, and the crowd of demons it managed to reel in were that of a higher status than the scum of the streets. But that made it all the more interesting to Alastor. There was high potential here for a lot of meaningful and impactful bloodshed. You could almost see the maniacal greed on Alastor's face through his smile if you looked hard enough.

"Right! You up for a game of roulette my good fellow?"

Alastor turned to Angel with a grin, eyes narrowing over to a table across the dimly lit room. "Little does everyone know, the stakes are quite high tonight, haha..."

Angel glanced around the space to gain his sense of direction in the large place. He took mental note of information that might come in handy later as he listened to Alastor's suggestion. He couldn't help but give a feminine sounding giggle at the added comment.

"I've never actually been to a casino to play before, so whatever you recommend, sugar~"

He looked at Alastor for a moment before a very wealthy looking man caught his eye that stood in the distance behind Alastor. He shook his head a bit and brought his focus back to the deer demon. They were here to have a bit of violent fun. Not for Angel to give in to his old habits.

Alastor was a little surprised upon gaining the information that Angel had never gone to a casino to play before, and was about to ask why. However, considering Angels past and his line of work, Alastor figured that he'd rather not ask, not really wanting to know.

"Well then, I'd say this is going to be quite the experience!"

He nodded, leading Angel over to the table he'd spotted earlier. And luckily enough it seemed the currently a game that was going on, was just about wrapping up.

Roulette was all about making bets, something that Alastor prided himself on being fairly good at. As he sat down, there were a few demons around who recognized him, shooting him a skeptical look or two however Alastor thought nothing of it and just placed his bet regardless.

Angel followed Alastor's lead with a small hum of another 30's tune. He started looking around at the other betters and taking notes of the table, memorizing and learning what he was to do. He didn't place any bets yet, not confident enough in his knowledge. He kept his place right behind Alastor, not sitting just yet just in case there were other players who'd want to join. For now, he played as arm candy for the infamous radio demon.

Angel looked over his shoulder, his upper set of arms held in front of his body while the lower set stayed behind his back, watching Alastor closely to learn. So far it seemed pretty simple.

Angel had come to the decision that he didn't want to play any of these games after all, wanting to focus on their true intention of coming here. He'd just wait for a cue of some sort from Alastor to take action. He didn't want to start shooting too soon and ruin anything Alastor had planned.

Alastor was very meticulous in the way that he played, paying close attention to every detail of not only the roulette wheel, but also the other demon players around. He recognized one or two, but apart from that, no one around really piqued his interest. Time was getting on and Alastor found himself almost itching to cut to the action, his hands fidgeting in the slightest from where they rested upon the table.

Angel had gotten himself and Alastor a drink from a passing waitress that carried a tray of drinks, setting it next to Alastor on the table and sipping at his own drink quietly.

He guessed that Angel was anticipating some sort of signal to initiate the chaos, which made sense since from where the radio demon was sat, he could practically feel Angels anticipation from here.

Alastor's timing couldn't have been more perfect if he'd tried. In terms of his chips, he didn't care about that- nor was he really paying attention. Another player had just entered the game and all attention was on them when Alastor gave Angel the signal, turning back to him and nodding his head in the slightest. Now, he just had to let the chaos commence.

Angel continued to watch closely, analyzing every detail like Alastor was. He was trying to devise a plan as to who he would aim for first and so on. He could tell Alastor was getting anxious just sitting there. He wanted the fun to begin and he wanted it to begin now.

He glanced down at Alastor when he shifted. The nod was what he assumed was the signal.

Angel raised his brows and took a breath, setting his glass down on the roulette table before unleashing his inner rage. It had been building for so long and to let it all out at once seemed to be a really bad idea.

He whipped out his guns in the blink of an eye, his third set of arms extending, a pistol in each of his six hands. The first shot was taken, then another, and another. Six pistols going off all at once made for quite the show. Angel was skilled enough to know to time his shots so he could reload and shoot simultaneously.

His eyes became wide and a sadistic grin pulled at his lips as he started to laugh maniacally, seeing blood and bodies drop around him. He kept his position behind Alastor, making sure to get every angle as demons started either coming after Angel or trying to run out of the way to avoid being shot.

It was clear Angel was enjoying this far too much.

Alastor sat still as the sudden gunfire rang out, simply sipping at the alcoholic drink he'd been given as he watched all hell break loose. The shouts, screams and most of all the gunfire was absolute music to the radio demons ears.

It wasn't long before Alastor finished the last of his drink, placing the glass neatly back down on the surprisingly still intact roulette table and standing.

Angel, in all his glory, Alastor did have to admit that he looked rather admirable, causing carnage left, right and center. However, it was no surprise that there were some demons around who were opposed to this sudden war zone, trying their best to run up to Angel and disarm him somehow. But Alastor would not let them.

The Radio Demon quickly stepped in, raising a hand as those black tentacles erupted from the casinos flooring, taking no prisoners as they grabbed hold of a couple demons at once, squeezing them beyond recognition.

Alastor laughed in unison to Angel, twisted hysterics sounding out alongside the gunfire and screams as they worked together to dispose of anyone and everything in sight.

The Radio Demon played those tentacles like a symphony, grabbing hold of demons from all angles, holding them in Angels line of fire, occasionally throwing them through windows and the ceiling. It was beyond beautiful.

Angel's grin only widened. Alastor's added effort made everything just that much easier.

When the first gun ran out of ammunition, he simply dropped it so he could easily refill the others as needed, only five guns firing now.

The way Alastor worked was flawless and graceful. Angel could see it from the corner of his eye and, holy shit, did it ever have an effect on him. He almost couldn't believe how well they worked together.

The 'music' continued to sound until there were no more signs of movement from any direction. Angel started to pant from his laughing fit, lowering his arms as he paused for a moment. He listened closely and started to strut slowly around the casino, his boots clacking against the floor with each step. Noticing something move from the corner of his eye, Angel instinctively raised his gun and took the shot without hesitation. From what could be seen, he hadn't missed a single shot.

He took one more look around before turning to Alastor with a wide, almost innocent looking smile.  
"Well, that was fun!~"

There were bodies and blood everywhere. To perhaps a normal human being, it would have made them sick- but to Alastor? A demon overlord and psychopath? It made him crave and want more.

Once the shooting symphony had come to an end, Alastor stopped for a moment, closing his eyes and simply taking in the strong stench of death in the air. God, it was euphoric.

Slowly he opened his eyes upon hearing the clacking of Angels boots against the expensive flooring, one more singular gunshot sounding out before silence once more.

"Nothing can compare, my friend."  
Alastor added, walking over closer to the arachnid and clapping him on the back in a congratulatory way.  
"There's nothing quite like the mass murder of a bunch of sinners, wouldn't you say so? Like music to my ears that was, ha ha!"

Angel nodded joyfully, looking around at their cooperative work. He may have been a masochist, but he could very easily switch to a sadist at the snap of a finger if he really wanted to.

The faint sound of something dragging could be heard once Alastor finished speaking. Angel's head whipped around in the direction of the sound, raising a brow with narrowed eyes. A single well dressed demon could be seen trying to drag himself to the back, presumably to hide.

"Well shit, if it ain't Mister Grimaldi!~"  
Angel loudly cooed, making his way over to the demon with a skip in his step, clearly recognizing him as he made his way across the casino floor with a skip in his step. He was about to have some fun with this piece of shit.

Alastor's eyes narrowed just as quickly over to the injured demon that was quickly dragging himself away, doing a pretty terrible job at staying quiet. Laughing softly to himself, Alastor took a step back, leaving Angel with the grovelling demon he seemed acquainted with somehow.

Meanwhile, Alastor waltzed over to some of the bodies, the slight crackling of a rather ominous old tune just being heard over the usual static that surrounded him.

"Hmm..." Alastor grinned, kneeling down over the demonic body of a female, dressed in expensive material and jewels of all sorts.  
"Such a shame." He tutted with a shake of his head, sticking the sharp end of his microphone into the fatal gunshot wound that had entered just below her lungs, more blood oozing out that the radio demon watched with much intensity.

Angel strutted up to the crawling demon, hips swaying from side to side. The demon was muttering pleas of mercy, causing Angel to laugh.  
"Oh! You don't recognize me? Huh- it's probably because I've got clothes on."  
He mindlessly kicked the demon onto his back and moved to straddle his hips, smirking down at him.

"Maybe this'll help ya remember-"  
Angel cleared his throat and took a breath before starting to whimper and whine as if being attacked, the sound echoing through the now empty casino.

That seemed to do the trick. Angel stopped and smiled down at the pathetic heap beneath him.

"Hi, Daddy!~"

Angel greeted him officially, tapping one of his firearms on his own cheek with a soft giggle.

"Angie? Angel, wait- I can e-"

Angel cut him off by then roughly shoving the gun in the demon's mouth with a sigh and rolling his eyes.

"I don't wanna hear it. I _REALLY_. Don't. Care."

Angel grinned, looking down at him.

"Yeah, not so tough now, huh?~"  
He pressed the muzzle of one of the other guns to the demon's knee, pulling the trigger, causing the leg to jolt and the demon to let out a pained groan with the gun still in his mouth.

"Kinda funny how this karma shit works, don't ya think? Yeah... eh heh.. heheh-"

He sighed and laughed softly to himself.

***

It was no secret to some who died after Alastor that the man in his life was a notorious serial killer of New Orleans, a psychopath and to top it all off, a cannibal. And those qualities indeed still stuck with him even down in Hell.

He simply couldn't help himself but stick two fingers in the fatal wound, scooping out some of the blood and tasting it on his tongue before quickly pulling away, a sour look on his face.

"What a foul demon..."

He whispered to himself, wiping his hand on the dead demon's expensive dress before standing up, deciding to see what entertainment Angel was unearthing with his acquaintance.

"And what a sorry sight to see."  
Alastor soon chimed in, seeing the demon known as Mr. Grimaldi groaning in pain from the fresh wound in his knee.

Angel was so caught up in his own thoughts the he forgot Alastor was with him. Hearing his voice caused his to jump a bit and point a gun at him. He was about to pull the trigger but quickly stopped himself when his memory came around.

"I'll tell you, there is nothing I love more than seeing the scum of Hell suffering, suffering and suffering all for my entertainment!"  
Alastor didn't flinch or move a muscle as Angel accidentally held the gun up to him, thinking he was someone else. He knew he didn't mean it anyways.

Angel lowered the gun and looked back at Alastor with tear-glazed eyes for a moment then looked back down at Grimaldi. But, if there was one thing Alastor was a little curious about, then it was at the tears that glossed over the arachnids eyes, threatening to spill down onto the bloodstained floor of the casino.

Grimaldi must have caused Angel Dust great pain in the past, Alastor concluded. The rage, conflicted confusion and thirst for revenge in Angels eyes said it all. Alastor understood that feeling.

Angel didn't hesitate to pull the trigger of the gun in the demon's mouth in that very moment. He wanted to savior the payback but he wasn't about to let the prick see him cry. That's not what he wanted his last sight to be.

His victim crying...again.

Brain matter scattered on the floor when the shot was taken. Angel moved off of the now dead demon and stood over him. He started violently emptying his weapons on the corpse, mascara stained tears rolling down his cheeks as he snarled, reloading and continuing to empty rounds on him until he was all out of ammunition.

Taking a step back, anticipating the arachnids next moves, Alastor watched on as the demon's body was blown to pieces, becoming a pile of deformed filth once the rounds had been emptied on his corpse. Yes, it was a sight to behold, but the pain behind it all was rather astonishing. From Alastor's point of view anyways.

Angel finally dropped the pistols and sighed, not bothering to wipe his face. He knew he had mascara running down his cheeks so wiping it would only make it worse.

"...Here."  
Was all Alastor said, reaching into his inner jacket pocket and pulling out a handkerchief, passing it over to Angel as he hesitantly rested a hand upon his shoulder. Call him psychotic, sadistic, immoral- whatever. But Alastor still could sense the others pain. A rather unsettling feeling.

It took him a few moments before Angel was able to properly react. He looked at the handkerchief and then up at Alastor. He gave a very small smile and took the piece of cloth after dropping his now empty weapons to the floor. He turned himself towards Alastor completely and reached forward, wiping a bit of blood off of the corner of Alastor's mouth.

"You're a god damn mess."  
He laughed softly, knowing full well he didn't have any room to talk. Angel cleaned the thick red liquid from Alastor's face before tending to himself, assuming some of the blood splattered onto his face. He did feel a lot better now.

Alastor froze a little at the contact to the corner of his mouth with the cloth, smile static as Angel wiped away at the blood he hadn't noticed was still there. But nonetheless, appreciated it.

"It wouldn't have been any fun if I hadn't gotten a little messy."  
Alastor added with a slight laugh, taking a small, hesitant step back from the other.

"Well, what do we do now, Strawberry Pimp?"

Angel asked as he finished fixing himself.  
Alastor looked down at his scarlet colored suit, patches of even darker red staining some of the edges, his gloved hands also red from the blood.

"What now?"

Alastor repeated, mildly unsure of how to answer that one. They'd set out to bring this place and its inhabitants down, and they had gleefully done just that.

"Care for a drink?"  
He suggested, holding out his arm once more just as he'd done so at the beginning of their evening.

Angel glanced at Alastor with a small smile as he finished cleaning his makeup. He inhaled and fixed his hair a bit before fully turning his attention to Alastor, dropping the piece of cloth onto the floor, blood from Grimaldi's body slowly soaking into the white material.

"You do look rather handsome, all covered in blood."  
Angel stated. He didn't look as covered because his dress hid it well and his boots were black. His bare arms, chest and face on the other hand did have a few splatters here and there.  
He retracted his third set of arms now that he was able to and looked at the arm that was offered to him.

"A drink would be fantastic, Al."

Angel seemed to have come down from his violent emotional outburst, being far more calm as he took Alastor's arm.

Alastor simply gave the other a small nod, leading Angel in the direction of the casinos large doors. As Alastor walked he mindlessly stepped over some bodies, not batting an eye as he opened the blood-stained doors, the casino more of a graveyard now than a place of possibilities and fortune, if you were lucky.

————


	6. Alcohol and Fake News

There was no one around outside, and rightly so. The rapid gunfire and the sight of the Radio Demons rampage had scared everyone off, or at least killed them. 

There were, however, a few bars around that Alastor knew of. They were small, but classy nonetheless. Perfect for a drink after a productive night, he'd say. 

Angel walked out with Alastor, the dress he wore left a trail of blood behind him as it ended up dragging behind him a bit, catching the streaks of red liquid. The same could be said for his boots, leaving a trail of bloody footprints behind. 

Angel looked around at the empty streets, almost disappointed. He wanted them to see that he wasn't someone they could take advantage of anymore- not that they would recognize him in his drag anyways. That wasn't the point though.   
He was accompanied with a very powerful and widely feared being that seemed to respect him at least somewhat for a change. 

Alastor looked across at Angel, noticing the slight look of disappointment on his face upon seeing that no one was around outside. He couldn't blame him for that though, it was always such a nice feeling to see the looks on alive witnesses faces after a mass murder had just taken place. It always gave an increase in that sense of power, not to mention it was the most wonderful ego boost. 

As they quietly walked down the empty streets, Alastor looked around left and right, face lighting up when he spotted what he'd been looking for in the window of a store. "Well won't you look at that, out performance is on a picture show!" Tapping the end of his microphone against the glass once they got close enough, it was clear what Alastor was talking about now. The famous 666 news station was reporting the carnage that had just happened down at the casino, little icons of both the Radio Demon and Angel Dust popping up in the corner of the screen as they were most likely talked about. "Ha ha, what brilliance!" 

Angel raised his brows as he was pulled along. This sort of made up for the empty streets. 

"Well slap my ass and call me a bitch-"  
Angel muttered as he watched. A sudden realization coming to his mind as a wide grin pulled at his lips.  
Valentino would hear about this soon if he wasn't tuning in right then.   
The arachnid quickly became giddy again, hopping on the spot a bit. Without thinking Angel wrapped all four of his arms around Alastor, still bouncing as he giggled. 

"That's me! On a screen! And I've got fuckin' clothes on!!"  
Angel pulled away and pointed at the televisions in the window. 

Alastor quickly stilled, expression blanking once he realised all four of Angels arms were wrapping around his slender form. Hastily, the Radio Demon pulled away just as Angel did, trying his best not to frown as he brushed himself down a little, looking up at the screens once again. "Yes, quite the scene we caused, hm?" He nodded, a little annoyed over the fact that he couldn't hear the report, but perhaps it would be playing out loud in the bar they were headed too. Alastor could only hope. 

Angel certainly did seem excited over the report, something that again Alastor found both amusing and curious. "What a good show we put on tonight. Why, the demons in the casino should feel honoured they got to out in such an entertaining way!" Alastor exclaimed with vigour, swinging his microphone a little.

Angel grinned and clapped excitedly with a giggle, not caring that Alastor pulled away from his embrace. He was far too happy for anything to bring him down.  
"I couldn't agree more! God, that was the most fun I've had in.. well- ever!"  
He placed his hands against the glass and watched for a few more moments. He wanted to know what they were saying too. Turning back to Alastor, he quickly linked arms with him again.  
"Alright, let's go! I'll look up the whole story when we get our drinks so we can see everything they've got." 

With another simple nod, they continued on toward the bar, Angel hurrying them up just a little, but Alastor didn't pay that any mind.   
Soon enough, Alastor was opening the door for Angel, letting him go in first before quietly following behind. 

The atmosphere was quite calming already, lighting dim and low and behold- there was a television playing right by the bar, the news report of the evening playing for all to watch. A few demons were around it, talking amongst themselves and occasionally pointing to the screen.   
"We seem to be quite the hit." Alastor laughed, walking up to the bar with Angel, pulling back a seat for him to sit down upon. 

Angel was about to open the door for Alastor out of habit, but when Alastor beat him to it, he seemed a bit taken aback for a moment, unsure of how to react. So, in all of his awkward glory, stood there for a moment, looking between Alastor, the door and the inside of the bar before he bowed his head with a small 'thank you' and walked inside.   
Once inside, Angel looked around, smoothing out the skirt of his dress a bit, following Alastor to the bar. 

"Takin' me to all the nice places I see."  
Angel hummed and smirked, giving Alastor a quick sideways glance before turning his attention to the TV and tuning in. 

Alastor didn't respond to the remark paired with a smirk from the arachnid, he just ignored it, turning his attention to the TV as well. 

Hells most famous news reporting duo, Katie Killjoy and Tom Trench, were reporting of that evenings events. There were a couple witnesses, but as the demons kept mentioning with nothing but glee, there were no survivors. It was almost a report of praise in a way, one that Alastor greatly appreciated nonetheless. However, when the duo started to discuss the initiators of all the chaos, Alastor stopped a moment, teeth gritting slightly behind his smile. 

__

_"It seems that porn actor, Angel Dust has finally bagged himself a new sugar daddy!" Killjoys voice rang out, neck snapping in that unnatural way she was synonymous for. "After the malicious and humiliating downfall of head honcho, Valentino, who Angel Dust had previously been closely associated with, it seems the adult film star has moved on to...a more terrifying company, the Radio Demon, and what a juicy story that makes indeed!!"_

Angel was smiling up until that last part, his smile quickly fading as he started to rapidly deflate. He hated this for several reasons.   
One, he didn't want to seem dependent on anyone for any reason anymore.   
Two, Alastor was probably going to kick his ass to the curb after hearing the assumptions in order to keep his reputation up.  
Three, he was recognized even in his drag. 

"Bullshit-" The spider muttered, folding his arms over his chest and stomach, an irritated and pissed off look so evident on his face you could practically hear it even if he didn't speak. 

"Ha! What misinformed fools." Alastor merely laughed with a shake of his head, quietening down as he turned to Angel, watching his expression of anger starting to build. Clearly Alastor didn't seem too bothered by it all. "My dear, worry not! With what plans I have in mind they'll know of your greatness in no time at all!" 

Perhaps Angel expected Alastor to be mad, but in fact it only served as more heat for the building inferno. Entertainment so great was sure to come from this. 

"We'll really get them back next time, show them that you're a man of pure independence at all costs! Angel my friend, they'd better be on their feet because I can guarantee they won't want to miss our next show!"   
There was an aura of menacing evil about Alastor as he spoke, clearly excited for what was to come, joy evident by the ever growing cheshire grin held up on his face. 

Angel puffed his cheeks out and exhaled, his attention turning to Alastor. That reaction wasn't at all what he was expecting.   
His head turned towards Alastor, his words of encouragement seeming to help him relax a bit, a small smile finding its way to his face again. Whether it was genuine or not, it was nice to have someone cheering him on and believing in him for a change. 

"I have a feeling they won't have a choice in that, with your neat tricks 'n shit with the TV's." Angel gave a small laugh, straightening himself out again as he leaned forward, setting his upper set of elbows on the bar counter while the lower set stayed folded over his stomach. 

"Haha, well that's not even an ounce of what I can do!" Alastor laughed nonchalantly as if it was nothing, calling the bartender over and ordering himself and Angel some whiskey. He was in need of a drink- in fact, they both probably were.   
He didn't bother to watch the news anymore, turning away from it as their drinks were slid over to them. 

Angel didn't hesitate in grabbing the glass, chugging it back without a second thought. 

"Kinda scared to know the full extent-"  
Angel admitted with a quick raise of his brows before he made a face from the burn of the alcohol which quickly subsided to a neutral expression.   
"Makes me curious too, though. If that ain't shit compared to what you can actually do, makes me wonder what's keepin' ya from owning the entirety of Hell." He added, a brow raised. 

Alastor could only grin even more at that, gulping down half his drink as he shrugged at Angels words.   
"Who's to say that my plans aren't exactly that!" He spoke almost with amusement, the radio effect leaving his voice briefly, expression almost seeming smug.  
"I've mentioned to you that I shall be needing your assistance in the erasure of a demon. I'm sure you can have a guess as to what demon I could possibly need any help with eliminating. There aren't many!" 

Sitting back on the bar stool, Alastor quickly downed the other half of his drink, sighing in contentment at the burn he felt down his throat.   
"There are big things to come, my friend...big things indeed..." 

Angel paused, his mind coming to a screeching halt as he stared blankly at Alastor, trying to process what he was saying. His facial expressions started to change from confused, to interested, to concerned, back to interested and finally stayed settled on confused once again.  
"And- eh heh- you think I'm able to help you with that? Me. A porn star with no special gifts or powers or anythin'."  
He gestured to himself, confusion intensifying by the second. 

"Best I can probably do is shoot a couple bitches or seduce their asses, but that's it. I ain't got much goin' for me, toots-"  
He tapped the counter with his empty glass to get the bartenders attention for more drinks. 

Alastor nodded in thanks as Angel ordered more drinks for them, the radio demon quickly taking a swig once it was passed over to him.   
"Isn't that enough?" He raised an eyebrow, adjusting his bow tie a moment. 

"You're extremely skilled with your weaponry I'd say, and your way with charm is only an added bonus." He stated honestly, knowing that with how willing Angel had been to repay Alastor, his drive to see anything through as repayment was only justification that Alastor had a good and unwavering partner here.   
"If I may ask, how did your skill with weaponry come about? Skill like that isn't simply picked up just like that, surely?" He was rather curious and perhaps a subject change would cool off Angels useless self doubt.

Angel ran his fingers through this hair, humming softly for a moment in thought.  
"I ain't as good as my brother, but thanks. My Dad was a mob boss. Still is, I think. Had me trained in that shit pretty early. Can build a gun in under a minute because of him." 

The arachnid took a sip from his own glass, his finger tapping the countertop a bit as he set his glass back down and looked back over at the Radio Demon. 

Alastor raised a slight brow at that, getting more insight to what Angels life had been while alive. It was interesting to know that his family was a part of the mafia, or involved somehow with all of that. 

"See, you do have skills like none other." Alastor reassured, enjoying his drink as he sipped at it a little slower this time.   
One thing was for sure though, if you asked Alastor to build a gun in under a minute, he'd certainly struggle.   
"I never was one to use guns really. Only for hunting back in the day, the occasional deer, bird, those sorts of things haha." 

Angel listened as he ran his finger over the rim of his glass again and again. 

"If you mean 'none other' as in 'none other that's willing to make a deal with you', I'll give ya that. But really my entire family is down here and are a lot more skilled than I am. I rebelled and didn't learn anything after that. Sure, I know how to get away with a lot but-"  
He raised his glass to his lips before continuing.  
"-I seemed to do just fine with what I learned before then."  
He looked down at the counter. 

"Never got a chance to hunt animals, bein' in the city and all. What kinda gun did you use for it?"  
He seemed to be in his element when it came to firearms and showed a genuine interest in them. 

Alastor did laugh at that, only agreeing with Angel there. It was true, there were not many anymore who were willing to make deals with the radio demon. He supposed that was a downside to being so well known.  
"Ah well theres nothing wrong with a little rebellion! Shows ones individually!" He laughed, eyes narrowing in the slightest as Angel inquired into what type of gun he used for hunting. 

"Why that was my father's Model 94! A great little thing for the dense forests. The deers never saw me coming, haha!" - Nor did his victims, not that Angel needed to know that though. His story regarding the mass murdering spree he was notorious for was something that Alastor very much kept to himself. A prime time of his life if he did say so. "Used to make the best Jambalaya with the game I caught. Hah, those were the good days." But he was rambling on now, not something he was very used to. 

Angel gave a small nod.  
"Not a bad gun to use. Shot one once, dislocated my shoulder from the kickback and never touched it again."  
He laughed a bit at the memory of his 8 year old self.  
"Never had that stuff before. Jambalaya. Deer either. Dad was always a strict 'Steak and Potatoes' kinda guy with the occasional exception of traditional Italian meals." 

Angel didn't mind Alastor's rambling. In fact, he wouldn't mind listening to him talk all day. Could have been on a really boring topic but he could tell Alastor would be able to make it sound interesting just with the tone of his voice.

"Yes, that would do it alright! Let me tell you, the first time I touched one of those guns, ah you should have seen me. I looked like a deer in headlights myself!" Alastor laughed as if his words were the punchline to some joke, clapping Angel on the back slightly with a pat as he downed the rest of his drink. 

So perhaps Alastor had loosened up a little, regarding the sudden openness. And while that might have been mainly down to the strong alcohol, it was also because he supposed he was comfortable over the fact that Angel wasn't going to go telling anyone any of this stuff. Hell, the only reason Alastor trusted Angel at all was because of their deal. If word of anything were to ever spread? Alastor knew it would be almost too easy to end the spider in the instant he opened his mouth. 

"My mother's recipe for Jambalaya is to die for! I'll have to show you some time, my good fellow. I will say though, I've never had the chance to try Italian." He admitted, thinking about that for a moment. 

Angel laughed a bit, assuming Alastor was, in fact, a deer demon. He wasn't sure but how he seemed to joke about it hinted towards the fact. Plus, the tiny antlers then made sense. 

When Alastor first manifested in Hell, he sure found himself laughing for a long while once he saw that he'd taken the demon form of a deer. Having been big into the whole deer hunting thing, it was almost ironic to him. 

But on the topic of Italian..."Well, since you're bein' so kind as to let me stay with ya I'd be more than happy to cook for ya sometime, if not all the time. It's the least I can do and seeing as I got nothin' on my schedule anymore, I got all the time in the world!"  
Angel offered, finishing his second glass with a small shrug of his shoulders. He loved cooking when he was allowed to, even when he was alive despite that not being entirely acceptable nor possible during his era.   
He wasn't terribly picky with what he ate either, so if Alastor made something for him, he wouldn't hesitate in eating it. 

"By all means, cook if you like. Any ingredients you need I'll be more than happy to provide!" Alastor grinned, calling upon the bartender for yet another round because this was Hell, no one cared how much alcohol you consumed down here.   
"I can imagine that with all your extra arms, cooking must be something of a breeze!" 

"From what I've learned from the few times I've been able to, they do help a lot."  
Angel extended his four arms out in front of him as if he were seeing them for the first time.  
"If I ain't crazy drunk I could do it tonight if ya wanted. If not I could wait till tomorrow."  
He suggested, putting his arms back down. 

Naturally, anything Alastor said to him here wasn't going to be repeated. Angel wasn't a complete asshole- sometimes. Plus his line of work made client confidentiality a regular thing. Somethings he wasn't even allowed to tell Valentino.   
Either way he wasn't very judgmental. Everyone was here for a reason and by how powerful Alastor was, he assumed he'd done some pretty fucked up things during his life. 

Angel shifted in his stool a bit, bringing one leg up over the other, sipping his now refilled glass. 

Alastor decided to consume this next drink a little slower, not wanting to end up too drunk either. Although, it had been a while since he'd had this much alcohol in such a short amount of time, he knew he was probably going to be tipsy at best. Or at least he hoped.   
"Whatever you feel like, my dear, whatever you feel like." The radio demon found himself chuckling, old laugh tracks playing in the background as he did so.   
"My, I am starting to fear my head may be a little fuzzy in the morning, haha." 

Angel stretched his arms up over his head with a hum.   
"Hmmmm~ well, maybe after this one we should head back?"  
He was starting to feel a bit tipsy himself and was feeling like a nap would have been nice too. The events that took place earlier seemed to make him tired, the adrenaline having fully subsided by this point.   
His arms lowered again and rested on the bar counter. 

Not that Alastor had really ever been one for sensibility, but right now perhaps heading back after the next drink did seem like the best thing to do. Being tipsy and completely exposed out in Pentagram City was bad enough, and Alastor had at least some sort of reputation to uphold.   
"Yes, I'd say we should." He agreed, taking a long sip of his drink, looking around the bar a moment to simply observe. 

The room wasn't spinning, no Alastor wasn't that far gone yet, but it was looking mildly fuzzier than usual- and that wasn't down to the radio demons static.   
Soon enough though, he finished up his beverage, calling the bartender over once more to pay for their drinks. 

Angel finished his own drink as Alastor finished his. He would have paid this time but, for one thing, he didn't have any money on him- making him feel kind of stupid for not robbing he casino while had the chance, and also because he knew that money wasn't important to Alastor. 

Once Alastor had paid, Angel shifted off of the barstool. The alcohol made his body feel a bit heavy but light at the same time. He held onto the stool for a few moments to let his body adjust to standing again before heading for the door with his accomplice. 

The bartender gave a grumbled 'thanks' in response to the payment and just like that, was off to serve some other demons. 

Using his microphone to pull himself to stand, Alastor did have to take a couple of moments to regain his sense of self once he'd stood, but after that was near enough okay.   
From there, Angel and him swiftly left the building and soon found themselves back out on the city's streets.


	7. The ‘Technically’ Unbroken Rule

Some time had passed since the casino facade, so Pentagram city was once more busting with demons, no longer the momentary ghost town it had been earlier. Good. 

"I'd say that was quite the productive night, wouldn't you?" 

Angel walked independently this time beside Alastor. He didn't want to bring him down if he happened to stumble on his own feet, feeling the effects of the alcohol as he walked.  
"I think it was, yes! Revenge tied in nicely!" 

Angel beamed, recounting the mangled body of an old acquaintance they happened to stumble upon. He ran his fingers through his wig with a hum.  
"Thank you for a wonderful first night of freedom, Al~"  
There was a hint of a suggestive tone to his voice, half the effect of the drinks he'd had earlier. 

It had been quite the show, filled with much entertainment, just as Alastor liked.  
Dull static surrounded him as he walked beside Angel, occasional radio channels cutting in as his mind wondered all over- agin, the result of alcohol no doubt.  
"Aha, it's not a problem at all my dear!"  
Alastor laughed in response, not catching onto the suggestive tone due to the mild sluggishness of his brain. 

The Radio Demons formal dress shoes clicked along the stone path as he walked, microphone guiding his every step as it was used as a walking stick- not that Alastor needed one of course, it was just classy. For style. 

"A night of freedom is something to celebrate after all!" 

Angel grinned in response, looking down at the ground as they walked, their shadows following them, revealed by the dim lamp light on Hells streets.  
It was by random chance that a demon they happened to walk past, out of absolutely nowhere thought he'd be clever, slapping Angel's butt with a cackle most vile. 

The arachnid abruptly halted in his tracks, almost sighing in exhaustion as he reached into his boot, pulling out a pocket pistol before he cocked it, aimed and shot the assailant in the temple without any hesitation.  
He barely had to open his eyes to see what he was doing. 

Once the bullet had successfully found its new home in the demons temple, Angel shoved the gun back into his boot and knelt down to the demon, patting him down until he found their wallet. He grabbed whatever cash and cards that were in it and put it all in his other boot. Without a second thought tossed the rest of the wallet away before standing and fixing his hair, continuing to walk as if nothing had happened. 

Alastor payed absolutely no mind to what was happening behind him, hearing the gunshot followed by the inevitable thud. He only stopped to turn around when Angel paused to raid through the demons belongings. It wasn't a demon he knew, therefore was of no significance. Not to mention the filth had absolutely no class to the clothes he was wearing, the dirty material sticking to his sleazy corpse. Alastor was definitely glad that Angel had put him down. As far as Alastor was concerned, he'd done the fool a favour. 

The Radio Demon just watched on with amusement, that grin lighting up his face, the effects of the alcohol very slowly minimizing with every moment that passed. 

Once Angel had gotten everything he desired, the two of them continued on course back for Alastor's home in a comfortable sort of silence. 

As they left that part of the city, all that could be heard were the sounds of their clacking footsteps, the static Alastor emitted and natural chaotic city noise in the distance. 

Angel hadn't felt this calm in so long, it almost made him uneasy. But he knew this would be normal for him now so he did his best to start getting used to it.  
He started planning out his actions for the following day, wanting to cook for Alastor. He would need to go out and get a few things for the recipe he had in mind though. 

When they arrived at Alastor's living quarters, Angel took a breath.  
"I'm gunna take a shower if that's alright."  
He stated, heading towards the stairs. He was so used to having to ask permission to do literally anything, it was still foreign to him. 

"Ah, home sweet home." Alastor chimed as he stepped in, the door closing behind them. He looked to Angel as the arachnid spoke, just nodding. "Do as you like, I'll be down here." 

Making his way into the lounge, Alastor just sat down in his chair, sighing as he did so. His head was throbbing in the slightest, but it would pass. For now, Alastor was just going to relax.  
Snapping his fingers, an old radio that was on a table in the room switched on, some radio station from the 1920's starting up.  
Crossing a leg over the other, Alastor summoned a newspaper and sat back. 

Angel walked up the stairs, stretching out his arms. The tune coming from the radio as he made it to the hallway made him smile a bit. Wasting no time in moving over to his bedroom, Angel grabbed a few things he needed and undressed, putting a robe on. It felt nice to get out of that dress despite how elegant it was and the greatness it made him feel while wearing it.  
He made sure to hang it up and put it somewhere the blood wouldn't ruin anything it touched. 

Angel then went into the bathroom and started up his shower, making sure to properly clean the blood out of his fur and the makeup off of his face. 

Alastor, as he sat downstairs, knew he still had blood on him, but that didn't matter. He'd clean himself up later.  
Now that there wasn't much on his mind, and it wasn't as cloudy as what it had been, Alastor had time to think about his future plans involving a certain ruler of Hell. 

Yes, Angel too was now aware of the Radio Demons ambitions and the fact that he would have to help. It was just a matter of fitting Angel into said plan.  
It was definitely easier said than done, that was for sure, but Alastor would think in due time. For now, he found himself to be rather exhausted, today's events having tired him out quite a fair bit. That, and then the alcohol. Perhaps a nap wouldn't hurt, besides, Angel was busy up in the bathroom anyways, so there were no worries there. 

While up in the shower, it took Angel quite a bit of work to get the blood out of his chest fluff. Angel had forgotten how hard it was. 

After getting himself to a satisfactory level of clean, he shut the water off and grabbed his towel, drying himself off to the best of his ability. His fur was quite dense so it would take a while to fully dry, annoyingly. He grabbed his things and cleaned up after himself, putting his robe back on and quickly making his way back to his room, his boots in his hands as he attempted to get them on. 

Once dressed and presentable, Angel made his way back downstairs. 

In the time that Angel took to get dressed once more, Alastor had fallen asleep in his armchair, the old radio still playing quietly in the background.  
If you had seen him like that, you wouldn't have guessed that Alastor was a serial killer in his past life, and a demon overlord now alongside many other terrible things. He just looked...normal. Sleeping as sound as a baby. 

Even the most dangerous demons had to get their rest, and as Alastor slept, there was no malicious smile on his face and those eyes that could scare a man half to death were closed almost peacefully. A rare sight indeed. 

Angel was about to say something when he turned into the lounge but stopped when he saw Alastor asleep. He paused and tilted his head slightly, looking around for something to cover the deer demon with. 

Upon seeing nothing, he went back upstairs and grabbed one of his own pink fluffy blankets and came back down, being as quiet as possible. He made sure to be careful as he draped the blanket over Alastor and placed a small kiss to his forehead before making his way to the kitchen. 

Angel didn't want to disturb Alastor too much so he started going through what Alastor had already in terms of ingredients and what he would need to pick up later for their meal, humming along to the soft tune playing in the lounge. 

Alastor didn't stir as Angel lay the blanket upon him. Had he been awake, he would have surely declined the gesture. Hell, Angel probably wouldn't have even thought to bring the blanket to him in the first place if he had been awake.  
He slept for a while, the music and talking from the radio only deepening his sleep. 

Soon enough though, the demon woke up, scarlet eyes opening, an eyebrow raising at the pink fluffy fabric he found draped across him.  
"Oh?" He whispered to himself, natural grin returning onto his face.  
Angel no doubt, but why? 

Angel wasn't a heartless piece of shit like the large majority of Hell's residents. He didn't want Alastor to get cold or anything and would have moved him to a more comfortable spot if he could, but he felt like Alastor wouldn't have liked that with how insistent he was on not being touched. 

Moving the pink blanket off of himself, Alastor slowly stood from his chair, brushing himself down and deciding to go and see if Angel was around. He most likely was, evident from the blanket and all.  
Alastor's shoes clicked against the wooden flooring as he made his way through his home into the dining room, spotting Angel sat at the table. 

"Ah, there you are."  
Alastor began, deciding not to mention the kind gesture the arachnid had done for the Radio Demon during his slumber. 

Angel hummed, sitting at the dining room table as he wrote out a list of things he wanted to get. His hair was down from its usual style from the shower and his chest fluff wasn't as fluffy, still being damp from his shower. 

Angel heard Alastor shift and start to walk, causing him to quickly adjust himself and try to get his chest fluffed a bit more and his hair to not look so dead, then he continued with his notes. 

"Here I am!~"  
Angel looked up and smiled at Alastor, placing one leg over the other under the table. He glanced down at his paper and gave a nod. 

Alastor noticed the other was writing a list of items, most likely for the food he had said he wanted to make the following day.  
"For your cooking, I presume?" 

"Yep! Not sure how you feel about certain things though, so I just wrote things down for multiple recipes. Just in case you weren't a huge fan of one of them." 

Humming to himself, Alastor came and sat down opposite Angel, taking the paper and spinning it around so he could read it over.  
"I must say, I've never been a picky eater. I'm fact, I'm rather a fan of food! Whatever you cook I'm sure I'm bound to enjoy, haha!" 

Sliding the paper back over to Angel, Alastor raised a slight brow. Perhaps he would question the blanket seen as the gesture had piqued his interest.  
"I must say though...I never thought I'd wake up to a pink blanket around me. Rather clashes with red, don't you think?"  
He smiled, neck leaning to the side slightly with a slight crack. 

Angel gave a small laugh, taking the paper back. 

"I think pink and red work really well together! Then again, you don't seem like a pink fluffy kinda guy so it might have looked a bit- erm... weird."  
Angel gave a small shrug and brushed some of his deflated hair out of his face, tapping the paper with his pen in thought.  
Alastor had to admit, he supposed Angel was rather witty with his words, wasn't he. He was certainly amusing company to keep around anyways.

"Hahaha, no!"  
The Radio Demon simply laughed in response, slight sarcasm to his tone.  
Looking down at himself, Alastor quickly decided that he would change out of his bloodstained attire, just so it didn't transfer onto any of his furniture. Not to mention, he supposed his and Angels conversation was about over now. Suddenly standing, he looked to the other.  
"Well, while you sort through your cooking ideas, I shall be upstairs. Please do not disturb!" 

Angel snapped his fingers and made finger guns at Alastor with a cheesy grin.  
"I'll be a good boy and stay right here!" He smiled and winked at him before turning back to his paper, now chewing on the end of his pen as he tried to think of anything else he would need. 

Humming a quiet tune to himself, Alastor briskly made his way upstairs and to his room, the one room in the entire house which he kept locked so that if any prying demons should ever walk past, they would not accidentally enter and immediately be ripped to shreds by Alastor himself. 

Once in his quiet room of solitude, Alastor slipped off his bloodstained suit jacket, rolling up the sleeves of the white dress shirt he wore underneath before swiftly exiting his room again, heading towards the bathroom with the intention to wash away all the red from that evenings entertainment. As fun as it had been, Alastor still needed to be presentable- he wasn't a complete savage in that respect. 

After a few moments of thinking, Angel decided having his recipes would be a good idea. He set his pen down and stood from his chair, starting to ascend the stairs with a small hum. Upon reaching the top, he noticed a door was cracked open that normally wasn't. He also noticed the bathroom door was closed, the sound of the shower running, so Alastor must have been in there.  
Out of curiosity, Angel made his way over to the door, putting his hand on the knob for a moment before remembering what Alastor had said. It was the one rule he had in place. One little peek wouldn't hurt, right? Alastor did say not to go in. He technically wouldn't be going inside the room itself.

Angel opened the door a bit more and glanced inside. 

Having thought he locked the door to his room, Alastor payed no mind to the footsteps and creaking floorboards of the upstairs hallway while he showered, figuring that Angel was simply going to his own room to rest or whatever he did. 

His room was of course locked for a reason, there being many personal items of value around. Over the years, through his connections and sketchy deals made down in Hell, Alastor had been able to reclaim some things from the land of the living, mainly his own possessions from when he was alive. Some old black and white photographs, there were also collections of very important books on shelves, newspaper articles and other things from his time. Apart from that though, it was just like any other room. Oh, except for the entire back wall that was mounted with deer head after deer head, a valuable collection to the Radio Demon. 

Angel looked around the room with slightly widened eyes. This was clearly a bad idea because his curiosity only grew. He quickly looked at the bathroom door for any signs that Alastor would be finished. Eyes still wide, Angel puffed his cheeks out and looked down at his feet, making sure they didn't go past the threshold of door frame as he looked inside once again. 

"Christ, Al..."  
He mumbled to himself, running a hand through his hair.


	8. A Gift

No one aside from Alastor himself had ever set foot in or even seen inside his room. And unbeknownst to him, that was happening right that second. However it must have been Angel's lucky day, because Alastor decided to stay in the shower just that bit longer, the steam from the hot water helping clear his still minutely fuzzy head from the alcohol earlier.  
Five minutes later and Alastor was shutting off the water. All was now silent except for the quiet dripping of water in the bathroom.

Angel jumped a bit at the sound of the shower being shut off. He closed the door to how it was before and quickly moved to his own room, nearly tripping on his own two feet in the process. He grabbed an old notebook from one of his suitcases and went back downstairs as if nothing had happened. Once downstairs, he pulled his phone out of his boot and put some music on. This music was of newer genres, so Alastor probably wouldn't have recognised it this time. Angel then opened the notebook and started going over the recipes.

Alastor, once out the bathroom and having changed into something more comfortable, he walked across the hallway, eyes narrowing in the slightest at the sight of his rooms door being cracked open. Then again, did he remember to lock it while in the shower? He didn't think so, his memory not serving him well here.  
Passing it off as nothing, Alastor entered his room, the door loudly shutting behind him once he was in.

Angel jumped at the door being shut but once silence took over again, he seemed to relax a bit. He didn't know why he was so jumpy today. Perhaps it was the prospect of being found out, but technically speaking he didn't do anything wrong. 

Alastor had never tried to keep up with the music once he died. It wasn't something he was remotely interested in, and besides- the music he liked was much more his taste. So it was at the faint sound of some rather modern music playing from downstairs that Alastor's smile faltered a bit. Yes, he really didn't like that genre of music one bit. No style, no purpose. Meaningless sounds and lyrics put together into something that was even more meaningless.

Angel picked his phone up and began looking through the songs he had. He changed the music to just simple piano and lyrics, something a little calmer. It was as he was about to put his phone down, that it gave the little notification 'ding' causing Angel to pause and wonder who had texted him. Not many people had his number, and even fewer actually messaged him directly. 

Curious, Angel picked the phone back up again and opened his notifications. It didn't take long after reading the name of the person who'd messaged, for his stomach to start to knot and twist. He slowly put the phone back down on the table faced down without even opening the message. 

If there was one thing Angel wasn't expecting, then it was for Valentino to text him. Then again, he wasn't someone Angel was willing to interact with again either. Especially with how pissed he looked at learning Angel had betrayed him.

Meanwhile, Alastor sat in his room for a while, indulging in the knowledge of a book far too precious to be kept outside the lock and key of his room. Novels and heavy books on voodoo and other dark sources scattered the bookshelves in Alastor's room. Some he had dared to read and practice while alive, others he'd acquired while down in this literal hell hole. 

After a while, the Radio Demon returned the book to its cozy place on the shelf and made his way to the door, closing it loudly again once he'd stepped out and into the hallway.  
He'd go and seek out Angel, perhaps let him into more of his future plans and desires involving the takeover of Hell. After all, Angel was apart of those plans now.

Angel jumped yet again at the loud closing of a door. This time wasn't as bad since he heard the door open, but he still flinched. By this time his focus was trying to get back on his list, not thinking much about what he saw in Alastor's room but now more worried about the fact Valentino had texted him. He obviously wanted something. 

He could hear Alastor's footsteps on the second floor, causing him to straighten his back and turn his music volume down to just a small, distant noise. 

Angel rubbed his face with his upper set of hands, elbows resting on the table beneath him. The events of today had been a lot and his mildly drunk mind couldn't help but start to overthink and question his choices.  
He'd met Alastor, made a life changing decision, gained his freedom- to some extent, got revenge, and probably even more that of which he discarded for now.  
Now his mind was wondering if any of this was really worth it. Was he making the right choices? Then again, it sometimes seemed that no choice he'd ever made up to this point was the right one. 

He hadn't even read the message sent to him. He was scared to do so. 

Slowly, Alastor made his way down the stairs and into the dining room where Angel was, glancing to clock on the wall, raising an eyebrow.  
"Angel, my good fellow, surely you are tired, hm? The recipes can wait if you wish to sleep."  
Alastor piped up, noticing that the arachnid looked quite deep in his thoughts, bags under his eyes prominent.  
"Something on your mind perhaps?"

Alastor himself was most likely going to have another rest soon, try sleep off the fuzzy mind that the alcohol had caused. 

"I.... don't wanna talk about it..."  
Angel mumbled, keeping his face in his hands. He didn't know what time it was, and yeah, he was exhausted but his mind wasn't ready to shut off just yet. He took Alastor's hint though and started packing up his stuff after a few moments of internal banter.  
Angel stood and gathered his things in his arms, shutting his music off, the message still in his notifications, unread. 

"Hmm..."  
Alastor hummed, eyes narrowing as he looked at Angel a moment before momentarily clapping his hands together, leaning back on his heels.  
"Ah! Well, suit yourself!" 

And with that, he waltzed out the room, leaving Angel to his own devices, not questioning the obvious internal conflicts that were so clearly displayed upon the arachnids face as he thought. Because like he'd just said, he didn't want to talk about it- and in Alastor's opinion, that meant exactly that.

But that aside, it was quite late. And if Alastor was to be coming up with plans the next day, despite the fact that dawn was almost here, then he at least wanted to not be stuck for ideas as a result of a tired mind.

Angel had things he needed to plan for as well, so sleep would have been a good idea. He went to the living room and grabbed his blanket before making his way upstairs. His eyes stayed on the floor and stairs in front of him, thoughts still running rampant. Moving across the hall, the spider stepped into his bedroom and closed the door quietly behind him. He set his things down and took his boots off before crawling into bed and pulled the blanket over himself, curling up.

Unfortunately, it seemed that his eyes simply wouldn't close as he had a seemingly infinite staring contest with the wall in front of him.  
There didn't seem to be any possibility of rest for him, which was fine he supposed. It wasn't like Angel was ever able to keep a normal sleep schedule anyways.

Not too long after Angel, Alastor made his way upstairs, static softly humming around him as he walked through the upper hallway and into his room, unlocking the door with the old metal looking key he kept safely in his pocket at all times.  
The lights were all off in his room, except a small burning candle on the windowsill.

After making sure that all his belongings were as they should've been in his room, books away, Alastor got into bed, his ominous scarlet colored eyes practically glowing in the darkness.  
His mind was kept up with not only the constant buzzing in his head thanks to the alcohol- but also with the sadistic thoughts of ruling over Hell running through his mind. Oh, he couldn't wait to see how this would all play out. To see if it would all play out according to his schemes, and what fun he would have along the way...

Angel tossed and turned for the remainder of the late night to early hours of the morning, it being really hard for him to find a comfortable position. It wasn't that the bed was uncomfortable. No, the bed was like a fucking cloud. He just simply couldn't seem to rest.  
Restlessly, Angel sat up with a huff. There was no point in trying to sleep, or even laying down for that matter. 

When the morning light started to shine through, he got out of bed and got himself dressed. He grabbed some cash from his case and left his bedroom, being as quiet as possible before making his way down the stairs and to the front door. 

Alastor too, didn't get much rest for the remainder of the evening. Only half an hour in total was the demon properly asleep, the rest he spent laying awake.  
When sunrise came around, Alastor got up, there being not much point staying in bed just laying around. 

Rummaging around in his closet, Alastor pulled out his usual pinstriped red colored suit, hastily getting dressed. He didn't hear Angel as he crept down the stairs and made his way towards the front door, the arachnid miraculously being too quiet for the deer demon to hear. 

Eventually though, Alastor left the seclusion of his room, presuming Angel was still asleep, his bedroom door closed. 

Angel opened and shut the front door, stepping out into the dim morning light. He took a deep breath before venturing out for what he wanted to pick up, list, money and phone in his inner coat pocket. He also made sure to keep his pocket pistol in his boot just in case. Because this was Hell after all, anything could go down. 

Not too far into his walk, Angels suddenly noticed he didn't really have much of a clue where he was or where he exactly was going. He had to use his phone to navigate since this was still a fairly new area to him.  
Angel followed his phones directions but upon reaching his destination, found out that it would be about an hour still before it opened.  
"Way to go, Tony, you idiot.." He scolded himself under his breath, eyes rolling in annoyance. 

Alastor's home was located quite out the way of the city, mainly for privacy reasons and the fact that it wasn't so busy on the outskirts of Pentagram City. If you were new to the area, it was probably quite easy to get lost. 

The Radio Demon used to reside in the center of the city, not too long after he manifested. He ran a small radio show way back when, the familiarity of it nice, however ended it a couple of decades back due to his focus swaying to other things. 

And speaking of his focus, Alastor was glad his mind was no longer fuzzy, the effects of last night's alcohol having finally worn off. His focus was pretty much all back, and as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he looked around, eyes darting across the room. No Angel here either. He must definitely be in his room then, Alastor concluded.

Back out in the city, Angel leaned his back on the building he was waiting to open, and pulled a cigarette out of his pocket as well as a lighter. He quickly lit it and pulled his phone out of his pocket, deciding now was as good of a time as ever to check that message, seeing as he had a while to wait. 

He took a drag and unlocked his phone, hesitantly opening the message.  
Now there was no going back. Valentino would be able to see that he read it. It was a whole paragraph and a bit long. It took Angel a few rereads to fully understand what all Valentino was saying besides wanting him to come back and bonuses he'd get if he did return. Of course, there were apparently always 'bonuses'. 

Angel didn't reply right away. He wasn't sure how to. He wanted a second opinion on it but wasn't sure if Alastor would give a shit in the first place that Valentino even texted him. 

Sitting down in the lounge, Alastor summoned a book from his room, snapping his fingers as the fireplace came alive with flames, warming the room. He would wait for Angel to awake before he discussed his plans. Besides, it was still quite early, only just having gone sunrise a half an hour ago or so. All was silent except for the dull hum of static as Alastor read through his book, occasionally flicking the page over.

He was not expecting any visitors today. In fact, he wasn't expecting them tomorrow or the next day- ever.  
So, it was at the knock on the door that Alastor's guard was immediately up. The demon stood from his seat, eyes narrowing, smile only pushing his facial features upwards as he wondered who could be knocking on his door at this hour. 

Alastor flung the door open, expecting there to be a demon greeting him, however there really was nothing. Looking left and right, up and down the street, no one was to be seen. Strange.  
"Hmm..." Alastor hummed in thought, his gaze wandering downwards before noticing a basket that was on the doorstep. Immediately, Alastor picked up on the fact there was movement coming from inside. There was a piece of paper too, with writing on it. And if Alastor didn't know any better, he would have assumed this was for Angel. Being a famous film star in Hell, it made sense that the arachnid would receive perhaps some gifts from fans or something. 

With a wave of his hand, the basket lifted into the air, following Alastor as he moved back inside, closing the door behind it. 

"Now...what are you?" He muttered to himself, lifting the red silk blanket with caution, eyes meeting that of a pigs. Beady, small eyes. And yes, there was a little pig staring widely back at him.  
Alastors expression was unreadable for a moment as he looked down at the pink swine, the cogs in his mind slowly turning before he erupted with vigour.  
"Oh wonderful! How thoughtful! Yes, this will make an excellent main ingredient for Angel's cooking! A rare ingredient indeed."  
He quickly exclaimed, nodding to himself, not bothering to read the note as he extended his arms out towards the pig. Live animals weren't down here in Hell. In fact, nothing alive was down here, unsurprisingly. And if by the rare chance that an animal was down here? They were very quickly slaughtered and eaten, not kept around for long. So, with those thoughts in mind, it only made Alastor wonder who brought it here and how. Also...why? 

The pig had a red and pink bow tied around its neck, and just seemed to sit in the basket, looking up at Alastor with a questioning yet blank look. It snorted a bit as it looked to the demons outstretched hands then back up to his face. Leaning forwards, it sniffed one of Alastor's hands before gently nibbling at one of his fingers.

Quickly pulling his hand away as the pig tried to nibble at his finger, Alastor's smile faltered. Yes, this pig was absolutely getting eaten now. Vermin like that couldn't be kept around. 

The note was left disregarded in the basket on the floor as Alastor stood, waving his hand to save himself from picking up the piece of pork.  
He made his way into the kitchen, pulling out some knives from thin air and arranging them neatly down on the counter in order of size. 

The pig was so stupid, it had no idea what Alastor was about to do. It just sat there, staring aimlessly at the deer demon as it was placed down on the counter. It sat on The counter and looked around without a thought, ears flopping about with each sharp movement it's squished head made, following Alastor's movements with its eyes.


	9. Brunch and Plots

Angel went inside as soon as the store opened, the demonic shop keeper not looking too happy about having a customer so early after opening.   
Grabbing what he had on his list and a few other things he saw, Angel soon paid and left. He had to use his phone again to find his way back and definitely didn't want to be out on his own any longer than he needed to be. For all he knew, one of Valentino's business partners could have been prowling the streets watching him, looking for a chance to grab him since he was alone. 

The arachnid was grateful to have three sets of arms to use as he carried the bags back to Alastor's house. His phone was almost dead from his walk out, but the closer he got, the more he started to recognize the surrounding area. Having long legs made the walk easier as well, it not taking nearly as long.  
As soon as Angel could see the house, he ran up to the door and stopped. He was about the knock but thought that was a bit of a dumb idea and just walked inside, shutting the door behind him, hearing noises from the kitchen almost immediately.

"Hey Al? You up?" 

***

"Alright little one, hold still!"   
Alastor laughed, holding a rather large and sharp knife up to the pig as he prepared it for slaughter. That was, until he heard the front door open, followed by Angel's unmistakable voice.   
Raising an eyebrow, Alastor swiftly left his kitchen in slight confusion, knife still in hand as he went to see the other. 

"Ah...so you were out."   
He conclusively nodded, looking down at the many bags the arachnid carried in his hands.

"You have a gift, my friend. A rather large basket was left on my doorstep for you, and in said basket was the most amazing main ingredient for an excellent cook up! I was just about to dice it all up!" He grinned, waving the sharp knife around in the air, pointing towards the kitchen with it. 

"Oh, There was a note too, but I hardly thought it was appropriate for me to read your assumed business." 

Angel perked a bit at the mention of a gift and headed for the kitchen.  
"A gift?" He started, making his way to the kitchen. "I swear if it's from Val I'm gunna -"  
He abruptly stopped mid sentence when he walked into the kitchen and saw the pig.

"Holy shit- Is that an actual fucking PIG?!" Practically shaking, Angel quickly and carefully put the bags down on the counter and rushed over to the pig, picking it up without any hesitation. 

He took a moment to admire the animal, brows realising when he remembered what Alastor had said he was just about to do.  
"Oh my god! You were gunna chop him up? What the fucks wrong with ya?!"   
Angel turned to Alastor, holding the pig close to his chest in a protective way, stroking the top of his head. The pig just cuddled into Angel's chest with a blank stare, snout twitching. 

Alastor watched in confusion as Angel rushed over to the pig, clearly not wanting it to be turned into bacon judging from his protective behaviour over the swine. 

"And why exactly? If the pig was not delivered here for the sole purpose of bacon, then what else? Keeping an animal down in Hell is surely not a good idea, as I'm sure you're aware of."   
Alastor added with narrowed eyes, placing the knife back down on the table, quickly eyeing the pig.   
"I assure you, the gutting and skinning process is quite swift. Shouldn't take more than a couple of moment if you'd let me!" 

Angel used his lower set of hands to cover the pigs ears and gasped in shock.   
"How dare you! Just look at it! It's the cutest thing I've ever fucking seen!! Have a heart, Al!"  
He exclaimed, walking over to the table to see the basket. 

Huffing, Angel lifted the silk red blanket, rummaging around. "Where's that note you were talkin' about? Depending on who sent it will determine whether we eat 'im or not. Okay?"  
He continued looking for the note and upon finally finding it, he read it over. His eyes increasingly narrowed.   
The mysterious note stated simply that this pig was a gift for Angel and that Valentino had paid good money for someone with access to the living world to obtain it for the adult film star.  
Valentino clearly wasn't good at gifts nor begging for forgiveness. Not that he'd truly mean a word of it anyways.

After a moment, Angel spoke up again, lowering the note from his gaze.   
"No. We're not eating him. Who knows what Vee did to him."  
Angel dropped the note and held the pig out in front of him, laughing a bit.  
"Fuck, you're fat. And kinda ugly."  
The pig just looked at Angel again with that unyielding blank stare. 

Alastor laughed in response, shaking his head with mild disappointment over the fact that it seemed as if they weren't eating the pig. Unfortunately.   
"Haha, from cute to ugly in a matter of mere seconds? My, that note must really be something."  
He then reached over to take the note and read it over for himself, adjusting his glass monocle as he read through. 

Angel just hugged the pig again.  
"He's ugly in a cute way! Like a pug or somethin'."

"Well, it certainly seems that Valentino is trying to win your affections back with this pig." Alastor concluded after reading the note through. Looking over to the hunk of pork, Alastor squinted again, almost scoffing at how much of clueless expression the pink thing was giving them.   
"I was so hoping to cook it, but if it's gifted to you, then I suppose it's your decision. However, I am not fond of the idea of a pig running it's filthy trotters around my house."

Angel patted the pigs head, pouting at Alastor.   
"Oh c'mon Alastor. I promise I'll take care of him! I'll keep him clean and make sure he stays in my room! Pleeeaaasssseeeee lemme keep him!!"  
He begged, sounding almost like a child as he clasped his hands together pleadingly.   
"Besides! We dunno what Val did to the little nugget! He could have drugged it or somethin' to make it taste like ass or somethin'. Tell me he doesn't look fucked outta his little piggy mind! Look at those spaced out eyes!" 

Alastor wasn't fond of the whining on Angel's end- and nor was he fond of the pig. But, if the animal was kept in Angel's room, that meant he was out of sight and out of mind. Right? 

"Fine. Do as you will."   
Alastor quickly concluded, his set of knives laid out and other sharp objects disappearing once again.  
"But yes, it is a rather odd-looking pig. And I wouldn't know- ass is not something I tend to taste, haha!"   
He batted back, trying to joke about that.

That was good and all, Angel having the pig- but then it brought up the question why was Valentino trying to worm his way back into Angel's affections? Did he think he could just take him back? No no no, not under Alastor's watch at least. 

Angel scoffed a laugh at that comment, golden tooth shining as he grinned. "Ohhh so you're one of those rare straights I've heard of- got it. No taste for ass."  
Angel nodded to himself, and looked down at the pig. Alastor just rolled his eyes at Angels comment towards him, not bothering to reply. It wasn't necessary anyways.

"Welp, you're gunna need a name." The arachnid huffed as he started to think.  
"You're chunky. And you look like a total sweetheart."  
Angel exhaled heavily, puffing his cheeks out. He took the note again, reading it over over and over again.  
"Why a god damn pig of all fuckin' things. Why not a dog or somethin'?"  
He thought out loud, setting the note down again.

"And what the hell do pigs even eat... besides everythin'? This only makes me question that pricks fuckin' sanity even more!"   
Angel continued rambling on to himself setting the pig down in its basket and starting to put his groceries away.

"Do you have a pasta roller by any chance, Al?"  
Switching the subject up out of nowhere, Angel finally directed something he was saying to the other.

Alastor watched silently as the arachnid talked to himself, quietly observing him as he too tried to get his head around why Valentino would send him a pig of all things. The radio demon could at least make a few guesses as to what pigs ate, but caring for animals was definitely quite the opposite of what Alastor did. 

"A pasta roller? Why, I'm sure I could find one somewhere."   
He exclaimed, moving around Angel to go into the kitchen, rummaging around through the utensils in some of the kitchen cupboards.   
"Aha!"

"You got one?"   
Angel asked. He was getting really excited about making this dinner...or brunch more like. It had been so long since he actually made anything for himself let alone anyone else. Valentino made sure Angel didn't lift a finger for anything he didn't have to- which was one of the very few perks of being under the overlords contract. 

The pig had made itself comfortable in its basket and curled up, watching the two demons move about the room. It really wouldn't have been a surprise to Angel if Val did have to drug the animal to get it down here without a fuss. 

Soon, Alastor pulled out the small metal contraption that was the pasta roller, putting it on the counter in front of Angel as he looked in the grocery bags the arachnid had brought back, pulling out the ingredients and laying them out for him.   
"Why I'm sure this will all make a fine dish!"   
Eyeing the pig as he curled up in the basket, Alastor turned back to Angel. 

"On another note, the same rules apply for the pig as they do for you. No entering my room under any circumstances."   
He thought he'd add, just in case the swine did manage to somehow get in, then it would be swiftly turned into pork chops immediately. 

Angel grinned and started going over the   
ingredients he'd gotten. He looked over that the pig with a raised brow.  
"I'm sure he'll be fine. Doubt he can open doors or anythin' if he's just an ordinary sweet baby."  
Angel shrugged, turning back to the items laid out on the counter.  
"Anyways, I got things for more than one meal so I can cook again tomorrow or something."

Angel got a lot more than what was needed to serve two, but there was a reason for that. Being a sex worker, having sex for even 25 minutes at a time really burned calories, meaning his calorie intake had to be pretty damn high to keep himself at least somewhat healthy. Of course, being a demon, his body wasn't the same as it was back when he was alive, however, he liked to keep the same habits as he had back when he was alive. 

"I just hope this food turns out okay. Been a while since I made anythin'."  
He added, rubbing his neck as he grabbed a large bowl from one of the cabinets.

Nodding, Alastor just moved back to lean against the kitchen counter, arms crossing over each other as he watched. There was quite a lot of food there for just two people, but as Angel had said, there was enough for more than one day which was good, he supposed. 

"Well, put it this way. We can't exactly get sick and die from whatever you make, haha!"   
He joked, slapping the counter as he laughed sarcastically, eyes shining brightly.   
"But really, my good fellow, I'm starved! Whatever you make I'm sure it will be sufficient enough for me." 

Angel laughed a bit at his true fact. 

"You don't feed yourself or somethin'?"  
He moved one of his hands to poke Alastor's thin waist as he started to organize himself and start making the pasta dough.  
"You're almost as big a twink as I am."  
He added on with a smirk, measuring out the flour he needed without using measuring cups or a recipe. 

As Angel went to poke at his waist, Alastor swiftly moved out the way, clearing his throat as he just smiled on at the other.   
"Quite on the contrary my dear! I know a good dish when I see one and can appreciate good food when I taste it!"  
He laughed, waving his hand as he watched Angel start to measure out the flour, the white excess floating up into the air. 

Once again ignoring Angels comment, since it was inappropriate mainly, Alastor decided to just be quiet, low static omitting from him as he watched on, genuinely interested in how the other was going to make this. 

Angel continued making the pasta noodles, humming softly to himself. It didn't take very long as he started to kneed.   
"Mmm- you wanna get a pot of water on? And a saucepan with a bit of this in it?"   
He tapped a glass bottle of oil with a nail while his upper hands worked on the dough. His lower set hands started to chop the other ingredients, such as tomato and garlic, simultaneously. It almost looked effortless. 

Nodding in response, Alastor moved over to a chair, removing his suit jacket and neatly hanging it on the back of it. With just his dress shirt and waistcoat on still, Alastor swiftly rolled his sleeves up on the white shirt, moving over to one of the pots and filling it with water. Once done, he placed it on the stove, snapping his fingers as the stove lit up. 

With that done, he silently moved to find a saucepan, pouring some of the oil in and shifting it around a little. As he did that, he watched Angel from the corner of his eyes, noting that his theory had been right. An extra pair of arms absolutely helped in the kitchen- he almost looked a natural, Alastor would admit. 

Angel kept his eyes down on what he was doing, so focused he didn't notice Alastor looking at him. He continued dicing and cutting, as he stopped with the dough to let it rest. His movements becoming a bit more aggressive and quick with each passing second, his mind starting to wander a bit too much over to his whole situation. He caught himself though and evened out his pace again, taking a breath as he finished.  
He lifted his head a bit and looked back at the pig who had by then fallen asleep, and then glanced at Alastor, then back down to the cutting board. He moved the cutting board aside and pulled the dough closer to himself, adding a bit more flour and started rolling it out with a soft hum of a tune, this one he knew Alastor wouldn't recognize.

Turning the heat up on the stove, Alastor nodded to himself once he saw the signs of it starting to boil. Good.  
He raised a brow slightly as the other started to hum an unfamiliar tune to himself, Alastor simply continuing to watch the talented spider. After a while, Alastor spoke up.  
"Angel, my dear, you're a natural! Yes, very efficient indeed! Bravo!"   
He laughed, straightening up to pat the other on the back a moment. 

Alastor himself wasn't exactly proficient in cooking per see, despite the fact it was a hobby of his, he was more a demon to take his time with those sorts of things. Slicing and dicing meat though, why that was like a second nature to him! And while he knew how to make a decent dish of Jambalaya, his skills definitely didn't compare to what Angel was showing here. 

Angel looked over at Alastor when he spoke, giving a small smile.   
"Thanks. I still got another set of hands I ain't even usin', too."  
He smiled a bit more, now finishing with rolling and cutting the pasta.  
"Put the saucepan on the heat now, would ya sweetie?"   
He started stretching the noodles out a bit and shook the extra flour off, setting it aside for a moment while he seasoned the tomatoes he'd diced not long ago.

Rolling his eyes at Angel's little comment once again, Alastor still did as he was asked, picking up the saucepan of oil and placing it on the heat next to where the water was now boiling away. 

"Need anything else, my friend?"   
He asked, looking over his shoulder in case the other needed him to heat any more pots, or prepare anything.   
He had to admit, it had been a long long while since he'd been in the kitchen, assisting somebody with cooking. In fact, the last time he had done such a thing was...a long while ago. But there point thinking about that now. Old memories. Shaking his head, Alastor brought his mind back to the present.

Angel put the tomatoes and such in the saucepan, humming a bit in thought as he put a bit of pepper in the mix.   
"Mm, I don't think so. I think I can manage from here. Should be about fifteen minutes."  
He finally replied after a moment of thought, looking through a few drawers for 2 wooden spoons and a strainer. He found what he was looking for, putting the uncooked pasta in the strainer then into the boiling water.  
"You can go do whatever it is you do until then~"

"Very well!"   
Clapping his hands together, Alastor took his leave from the kitchen, eyes narrowing at the pig as he left, feet clacking against the floorboards as he walked back into the lounge, taking a seat. Kicking his feet up, Alastor commanded the gramophone to life, a lively tune starting up to help aid the demon with his thinking.  
Fifteen minutes was a lot of time to think, Alastor concluded, his fingers tapping against the arm out the couch to the fast tempo saxophone melody of the song.

Angel continued to cook, grabbing a few other ingredients he'd picked up and tossing them into the saucepan, humming along to the music Alastor had playing in the other room. He drained the pasta when it was time and added it to the saucepan to finish cooking. He started looking for plates when it was near finished and walked over to the table, moving the pig's basket to the floor, patting the still sleeping animal gently on the head. 

Angel plated the meal when it was ready and topped it with a bit more basil and a bit of Parmesan before bringing it over to the table. 

"Brunch is ready~"  
Angel sang out loud, alerting Alastor as he shut the stove off.

Almost fifteen minutes later on the dot and Alastor stood up, hearing Angels voice calling out that the food was plated and ready. If smell was anything to go by, then Alastor would have to say it smelt just delicious. 

And as he made his way over to the table, he saw that he wasn't wrong. 

"Why Angel that looks delectable! A true artwork!"   
Alastor nodded, glancing over to the other as he sat down, looking forwards to the dish that now sat in front of him, one he was unfamiliar with. 

Angel smiled a bit at the praise, sitting across from Alastor after setting utensils down in front of them.   
"Sure, it looks good. But wait 'till you try it to start complimenting it."   
He laughed a bit, picking up his own fork and looking down at the pig next to him on the floor as he started to twirl the fork in the pasta, moving to look at Alastor again after a moment.  
The spider was very grateful Alastor was being so lenient about keeping the pig.

Alastor noticed Angels gaze go to the pig which was still sound asleep in its basket. If the pig just slept all the time, then that was definitely fine with Alastor. It could have been dead for all they knew! 

"How do you suppose Valentino brought a pig down here exactly?"   
Alastor thought he'd ask Angel. He knew a few methods and a few people that had access to the living world, however he wanted to know what the arachnid thought of it all.   
Picking up his fork, he too twirled some of the pasta around it, wasting no time in popping it in his mouth, chewing for a moment before nodding.   
"Excellent, just as I thought!" 

Angel took a bite as well, thinking about Alastor's question as he chewed while looking down at his own plate. His gaze was brought up again at the comment.  
Angel couldn't help but smile a little wider.  
"It's really nothin' special or fancy, but I'm glad you like it!" 

He thought a bit more at Alastors question, racking his memory before something came to mind.   
"I remember seeing a glimpse of an ad on some crappy TV station.Can't remember what it was for, but it mentioned they had access to the living world. If they had it, I'm sure there are a lotta demons with it too."  
Angel shrugged. He could have been wrong though.  
"But I mean, really, I'm sure this ain't the craziest thing to happen."  
Angel motioned to the pig and took another bite.

"Ah yes... those sketchy Imps..."   
Alastor knew of them and had seen their rather interesting, albeit short picture show advertisement at some point.   
"I suppose quite a few people do have access to it."   
He shrugged, taking another few bites of the pasta, knowing something Angel didn't and that was how he wanted to keep it. For now. 

"What really is absurd is the fact that Valentino is trying to get you back! Why, I thought that fool would know better after what happened to him, haha! Almost all of Hell witnessed his humiliation!"  
Alastor pointed out with a laugh, spinning some more pasta around his fork loosely. 

Angel shrugged his shoulders.  
"I was his top bitch. His income is gunna suffer without me there real soon. So of course he wants me back.”   
Angel knew Valentino was going to suffer and for him to be begging the spider to come back already? Well, that meant he must have been suffering already.   
“The scumbag texted me last night with offers and shit. Some of them bein' pretty damn good offers too. Haven't replied though. Don't plan to either." 

Angel took another bite, making eye contact with Alastor again. He was still deciding what to do with his freedom though. He had a few really good options available to him. 

Alastor raised an eyebrow at that, finding the fact that Valentino had been texting Angel rather curious. Yes, it did seem as if he was desperately trying to get the former adult film star back.  
"Well, it's good to know where your loyalties lie!" He chuckled, finishing up the last of his pasta and placing the knife and fork together neatly.   
"So long as he doesn't show up here, then I have no concerns really."   
The deer demon added, waiting for the other to finish up his food too. Since the other cooked, it was only right that Alastor washed up. Besides, he could get that done rather quickly with a few of his methods. 

Angel shrugged again. He didn't care either way. Valentino could give him gifts all he wanted; Angel wasn't going back no matter what. He made a deal with Alastor and until that deal was fulfilled, he was staying by his side until the deer demon got sick of him and told him to get lost. 

"Here’s a point, I gotta figure out an official business plan for myself once all this shits said an’ done. My savings ain't gunna support me forever."  
He added. Angel had a few ideas but they were only ideas and hadn’t properly been thought through yet. 

Leaning back in his seat, Alastor folded his arms over his chest, one leg crossing over the other.  
"Oh? And what kind of business plans were you thinking of, if I may?"   
He thought he'd ask, kind of curious to know what the spider planned to do after all of this as well. Once their deal had been seen through, the radio demon presumed the two of them would carry on their separate paths.  
Then again, if Alastor's plans went well, then the Hell as they knew it, would be very different in the coming future. Who knew? Angel would have to factor that in too in the coming weeks.

Angel paused, finishing his last bite. He shook his head as he finished his food.  
"You don't wanna know." He simply stated, setting his fork down with a faint chuckle, not being able to keep back a knowing smirk. He knew for a fact by how Alastor acted towards his sexual advances, statements and jokes that he would actually throw himself out the window if his plans were brought to light. Then again, seeing his reaction would be fucking hilarious.

Clearly not catching on, Alastor loosely waved his hand in the air, prompting the other on.   
"No no, I insist."   
He nodded, thinking that Angel had actual plans that didn't involve his past line of work. Ah how wrong was Alastor. 

The radio demons' plans, on the other hand, were simple. Once Lucifer was out the picture, he would just revel in the newfound absolute pure power and entertainment. He would continue to watch the suffering of other demons, failing time and time again much to his delight for the most probable foreseeable future. Oh, how he couldn't wait! 

Angel smirked and pressed his lips into a thin line, raising his brows and straightened his back. He popped his tongue, raising a singular eyebrow.   
"Well, I was gunna to do some solo streams until I found willing participants for 'em. Past clients always loved those, but you were lucky if you caught ‘em cause I didn't do 'em often. Y'know, couple toys, special requests...all that kinda fun stuff.” 

Angel tried to keep it as vague as possible, not going into too much detail to spare Alastors mind at least a bit.   
He didn't know what Alastor had planned after their deal so he himself had to stick to a plan that he could do before and after the execution.

Alastor froze, nose scrunching up slightly as he ingested Angels words, the static surrounding him momentarily cutting out for a second or two.   
"Ah...I see."   
Well, he should have really expected that. Quickly standing, Alastor hastily collected both his and Angel's empty plates along with the cutlery.   
"Well, you do you." He commented, swiftly leaving the table and walking over to the sink. 

"Literally..."   
Angel muttered under his breath with a titter, making sure Alastor didn't hear it.

"If you ever consider doing something a little less...lewd, then I'd be more than happy to hear about it!"   
He thought he'd add in, hoping that was the end of that conversation. 

"Other than drug trafficking, ain't nothin' out there I do better."  
Angel stated, clearly amused by Alastor's reaction. He was going to add something but decided against it. Making Alastor any more uncomfortable probably wasn't a great idea.

"If you think that way, then I suppose that will be all you're good at!"   
Alastor batted back, slight passive aggressiveness to his tone as he snapped his fingers, the dishes piling up in the sink. 

Angel looked down at the pig who was still fast asleep. He stood after patting his thighs a few times and walked over to the sink, leaning on the counter just beside Alastor.  
"I can do that. I made the mess so I’ll clean it up."

Alastor just shook his head. "It's only right that I wash, since you cooked my dear."   
He added, turning his back to the dishes, looking across to Angel. Besides, it wasn't exactly like he was really washing them himself.   
"However...I did want to talk to you."   
Turning the conversation to something a little more serious, Alastor thought he'd bring up the reason Angel was here in the first place.   
"And I'm sure you already know what about." 

Angel gave a nod, folding both sets of arms over his torso.   
"Yeah, I was meanin' to ask about that...Whatcha thinkin'?"  
He tilted his head slightly, giving Alastor his full attention. He did have a small idea how he'd be able to help with Alastor's plans but whether it would work or not was a whole other thing. Not to mention the fact he didn't know much about Lucifer as a whole, besides the obvious- he was Hell's ultimate Daddy. 

Alastor had a plan alright, near enough, and it did heavily rely on Angel. So, it was just a matter on whether the arachnid was willing to go through with it or not.

"Lucifer and I, we knew each other a long while back, just after I manifested in this cesspit. Before the demons spawn was birthed down here."   
He began casually, referring to the current princess of Hell with that last part.  
"Charming fellow, might I add- but without making this too long, my point is I know what he is like. And that is how you come in."

Turning to the other a little more, grin only growing, Alastor quickly snapped his fingers, the water in the sink behind him quickly stopping before it could overflow and flood the floor. 

"There are certain places and events that Lucifer likes to attend and hold. During one of them, we shall be there, and you will act as a distraction of sorts. I feel that you would be the perfect demon to get close to the devil himself, if you catch my drift!" 

Angel's eyes narrowed a bit as Alastor spoke, one hand cupping his own chin as he tried to figure out what exactly he was spitting.   
"I think I catch what you're sayin'. But, because I'm stupid as shit, you're gunna need to go a bit more into detail for me so I know exactly what you're talkin' about."  
Angel tried his best to sound smart even though he literally just called his own dumbass self out.

Alastor raised a brow, almost laughing as Angel called himself out for being stupid.   
"And how much detail exactly are you asking for?"   
He asked, head tilting to the side.   
"I'd say it's quite a simple premise. The two of us attend one of Lucy's events, you get close to him, try get him to trust you a bit and then I come in, sending Satan into such depths of Hell that he will never be able to return due to his eminent erasure! Haha, a wonderful performance indeed!!" 

Sure, it was quite a long shot, and for someone like Alastor who was very meticulous it was perhaps quite out of character. But it was, more or less, all he had. Besides, the methods in which they would dispose of Lucifer were devilish in their own way, once the demons guard was down of course. 

"You'd get your fun too, don't worry, my dear." 

"Alright, I can probably work with that."  
Angel concluded with a shrug.  
"I do have a few further questions though. When is the next event? Who should I expect to be there, what's his preference, and how formal will it be?" 

He started counting off his questions with his fingers on his lower set of hands while the upper set stayed where they were, one hand still cupping his chin while the other was crossed over his chest, the fluff pushed upwards a bit. 

Alastor may have not had a fully-fledged and perfected plan for all of this yet, but that didn't mean he hadn't done all sorts of research into where they were going. 

"Ah, I'm glad you asked, Angel!"   
He chuckled, offering the other a momentary smirk before switching back to his signature smile.   
"The next event, a party, is in precisely four weeks time! As all of them have been in the past, it will be a very formal event. Anyone who is anyone will be there, providing an excellent audience I'm sure! Overlords of all sorts!"   
Sounding rather excited at that one, Alastor quickly turned around, pulling the now washed dishes out of the soapy sink, leaving them to dry. 

"And his preference, you ask? Why, I hardly think that Satan himself has a preference. Believe me, haha!"   
Perhaps hinting at something else there, the Radio Demon once again turned around, eyes glinting with excitement over the promise of his plans.   
"But all will go well, I'm sure. You have absolutely nothing to worry about my friend! Nothing at all..."

Angel listened intently to all of the details Alastor spilled. His brows furrowed a bit and looked down at the floor with just his eyes. 

"So-..."  
Angel wasn't sure what to say, but he knew he wanted to say something. Instead he exhaled and covered his mouth with his one of his upper hands, trying to come up with words. He did pick up on a bit of implied history with that one thing Alastor added in terms of Lucifers preference, but thought it best not to ask about that just yet. Besides, it was probably nothing. 

"So, all I would have to do is seduce the clown as a distraction. That's all my part in this is? I mean- I could use my bite to drug him. Then again, that ain't gunna let me have much fun with him..." 

Alastor waited for a response patiently, ominous grin never faltering as Angel finally spoke up.  
"Precisely!"   
He exclaimed, grainy applause broadcasting from an audience that wasn't there through Alastor's radio capability.   
"However, as I know you're fond of, I'm sure you'll get your fair share of bloodshed either way. You don't have to worry there." 

Alastor was intrigued to know about Angels bite though, not realizing that it was poisonous in some way. Yes, that could definitely be useful along the way. It was good information to have.   
"I did not know your bite was poisonous? How lethal would you say it is?" 

Angel looked up at Alastor again, straightening himself up. 

"Oh, um... my bite ain't somethin' to get excited over. I’m a spider demon, ya’ know.”   
He tapped his gold tooth with his nail twice.  
"If I bite someone, I can release a venom that drugs my victim like Jet would. 'Course if I use too much, there stands the possibility of death like any other drug.”  
He shrugged a bit, clearly not terribly interested in this ability- mainly because it had no effect on himself.

Clapping slowly, Alastor could only laugh, his chuckling not quite sarcastic, yet not exactly genuine either.   
"Why, that's still impressive! And useful nonetheless, who knows when that might come in handy! Much less obvious than carrying around a physical substance to drug some poor soul with."   
He continued to cheer, eyes watching as Angels nails tapped at the golden tooth he had. 

"I'd say we have a pretty fine chance at landing this, oh yes indeed! Four weeks to plan and perfect it is not long, I shall give you that, but it is surely enough!" 

However, four weeks of having Angel just slumping around the house was hardly a productive thing to be doing. Alastor could guess that spending perhaps even a week nonstop with Angel by his side would most definitely put them at each other's throats. 

"Speaking of the present now though, say, have you thought of perhaps finding something to do during the day? Surely cooped up in this house must be quite mundane." 

Angel nodded at the suggestion, smiling a bit.   
"I was thinkin' about that. Might go out and get a job tomorrow that ain't in my room. Saw an ad at some place during my walk earlier."  
Angel stated, walking back over to the table and picking up the basket with the still sleeping pig in it. He had to check to make sure it was still breathing because of how still it was.

"And don't ask what it'll be, because I know for a fact you ain't gunna wanna know."  
Angel quickly added.  
He was still a bit confused as to why Alastor was so.... not into anything sexual. He assumed that because they were from around the same time period, Alastor believed homosexuality in general wasn’t an acceptable thing or something similar, therefore shut down any of Angels advances. On the other hand, it was Hell. There wasn't much he could do about that sort of stuff. 

Alastor just nodded, knowing how often jobs were being advertised down in Hell due to the... 'unfortunate' tendency demons had to kill others. It was a very frequent occurrence, meaning job opportunities were almost always open somewhere. And if they weren’t? Well, the solution was just to kill whoever’s job you wanted! 

"Very well, I shall not ask. I doubt it is within my knowledge anyways."  
Based upon what Angel had told him earlier regarding his future intentions relating to his line of work, Alastor could pretty much guess what kind of job the spider was going to go for.

It wasn't necessarily that Alastor wasn't into anything sexual, per see. His mind was just kind of...vacant when it came to those sorts of emotions. Like an empty shell, completely void of compassion, guilt, lust and so on.   
However, when it came to touch? Yes, Alastor had a thing with that. He didn't like to be touched, as he was sure Angel was aware of now. Initiating physical contact however was absolutely fine, it was just the unexpected contact that was rather unnerving and made him uneasy. 

"Whatever you chose to do though, I will not be against it. After all, this is Hell! All sorts of questionable and wacky things happen down in this dump!" 

Angel cackled at that, eyes closing as he laughed, puffing out his cheeks. "You can say that again, babe. Fuckin' ball-stompin' crazy down here sometimes...Anyways. I'm gunna take this fat nugget upstairs and make room for him. Lemme know if ya need anything." 

Angel smiled a bit and started heading upstairs. He had a lot to think about and a lot to plan for. four weeks wasn't a lot of time if he really thought about it. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he started to stress. His mind going off in a million directions again. 

Fat Nuggets? What a strange nickname. Then again, Alastor supposed the pig was rather fat. In more of a promisingly tasty bacon sort of way though. 

"Well, I shall be in my room as well."   
Alastor nodded, straightening up from where he was leaned against the kitchen counter top. 

Four weeks indeed was not a very long time in the face of eternity, so the Radio Demon concluded that he did not have a second to waste. Noting that Angel was taking the pig up the stairs, Alastor swiftly sunk into the shadows of the room, eyes glowing a deep red as he used the darkness to appear up in his room. 

Angel hurried up to his room but didn't hear Alastor behind him. He assumed he was doing something in the kitchen before heading up as well. He went into his room and shut the door quietly, setting the basket down as the pig in it started to wake up.   
"Hey there! Welcome back to consciousness, Fat Nuggets!" 

Angel then decided that would be the animals name. He didn't know why but he thought it was cute. The pig just looked up at Angel and snorted. Oblivious to literally anything and everything.   
"Either you're fuckin' stupid or you're drugged."  
Angel tutted with a small laugh and picked it up before sitting on the bed. Now was time to figure out what he was going to do for that formal party Alastor was talking about.

Alastor slowly found himself continuously pacing up and down his room, muffled music playing around him, occasionally crackling out into static as he delved deep into his thoughts.  
He had a lot to think about here. 

Obviously, he had no doubts about killing Lucifer like he planned to, the clown had what was coming to him. Oh, the absolute raw power he'd get, not to mention the thrill. To some demons, it could seem terrifying. But to Alastor? Well, that was just the best part.

There were of course other...obstacles that somewhat stood in his way. Past memories that had long been forgotten. Two power hungry demons both mirroring their own sort of devils were not a good mix in the long run. Or at least for the short time that they were...acquainted, as Alastor would say. 

But that aside, plans were still being cooked up in Alastor's dark mind, his pacing footsteps against the wooden floorboards only mere background noise to his thoughts. 

Angel sat on his bed, playing with his new pet with a small hum. He was trying to figure out what all to do about this whole Lucifer situation. The fact that Alastor wasn't specific kind of frustrated and caused him some stress. 

Didn’t Lucifer have a wife? 

How would this work? 

What was he supposed to wear? 

Was there going to be a specific theme for the party? 

What was he supposed to say? 

What was he not supposed to say? 

Was getting a job right now a good idea? 

What should his main priority be? 

Alastor said overlords of all kinds would be there. Would that mean Valentino would be there too? God...

His mind started to spin with questions. 

Giving Angel full range and freedom wasn't exactly a good idea. He was too dependent and needed specific instruction in order to function properly. His mind always liked to blow things way out of proportion so he always needed someone to guide him and walk him through the plan at least twice before he could even think about calming down. 

Eventually, Angel concluded that he’d have to get more information out of Alastor later. Perhaps when they next sat down together.  
For now? He needed to calm his mind.


	10. The Memories These Ruins Hold

It was probably for the next hour or so that Alastor found himself pacing and pacing nonstop. It was what he did when deep in thought, keeping him on his toes, and on this occasion that was very much true. 

The upcoming formal event was one of the only times that the big overlords of Hell would come together and be obliged not to start outright wars with each other. Some liked each other more than others, that was a given, and others didn't like anyone at all. Alastor was in that latter category of course. He could be friendly when he wanted to be, but those fools didn't interest him in the slightest- usually. Not unless he could gain something from their acquaintance. 

In terms of Angel within his plan, he'd factored him in, however still had yet to think of the possible problems that the arachnid could bring. Would Valentino be there? There was a very high possibility which would throw the spider off no doubt. 

The Radio Demon had also thought about what to do if things started to go wrong. Escaping was not an option for Alastor and unless things became dire, then he was not going to resort to escapism. 

The more he thought about this, the more his thoughts were starting to stray in other, unnecessary directions. Perhaps some air was needed. A change of pace. Summoning his microphone, Alastor swiftly left his room, knocking upon Angels door instead. 

Angel was so involved with his thoughts too, that all noises outside of his mind didn't register. However the loud knocking on his door did manage to pull him back to reality with a jolt and a small gasp. He blinked a few times to gather himself again and stood up, cradling Fat Nuggets in his lower set of arms as he walked over to his door. 

There was a slight pause from the spider as he took a deep breath.  
Angel finally opened the door and saw Alastor standing on the other side, as expected.  
"Hey Al! What's up?"  
Angel did his best to sound like his normal self and hide his nerves over the forthcoming plan.

Alastor stood, smiling in vigor as Angel opened the door, far too innocent looking pig sitting in one of his sets of arms.  
"Why, Angel I was just on my way out and was extending an offer for you to join me!"  
He exclaimed, swinging his microphone around before loudly slamming the end down upon the wooden floor which caused Angel to flinch a tiny bit.  
"A small breath of air will do us some good. I must admit, it is becoming tiresome, thinking up plans in this stuffy home."

Without getting an answer, the Radio Demon had already turned on his heels and was making his way down the staircase, static following him as per usual.  
"If you do not wish to join me, then that is your choice!"  
He called, not bothering to turn back in case the arachnid had other plans or was busy. 

Angel took a moment to think before quickly replying.  
"Yeah, I'll be down in just a second."  
He was kind of grateful Alastor offered, if he was being honest. Angel set the pig on the floor and patted his head, to which the pig just flopped on its side with a snort. The arachnid consequentially rolled his eyes and walked out of his room, closing the door behind him to make sure the pig wouldn't get out.

"Wonderful!"  
The deer exclaimed in response, continuing his descent down the stairs, waiting in the downstairs hallway for Angel Dust.

The spider then started down the stairs, straightening his coat with a small hum. Angel knew he had already been out earlier, but even that had been fairly stressful considering the fact that he had been alone, and unsure of the surroundings. At least now with Alastor along for the ride, this would give him a chance to ask the questions he'd come up with and maybe explain himself a bit so Alastor would understand why he was asking so many questions in the first place. 

Thinking about it for a moment, it was while on one of his mindless walks a couple of days back now, that Alastor had actually acquainted himself with Angel in the first place.  
Of course, the spider demons' intentions were far from what they were now, hopefully, but Alastor supposed that was just how Angel was. 

A lot of good had come out of that unlikely encounter though, and while he wouldn't admit to it, Alastor could say he was rather glad he had met the arachnid. A deal had been the outcome in which, in Alastor's opinion, was certainly a win. 

Angel met Alastor in the hallway, fixing his hair a bit with a small smile.  
He certainly wasn't complaining that he'd met Alastor. If anything, he was glad. He'd been wanting out of Valentino's grasp for so long and to finally have that felt amazing. His confidence was back and he didn't feel nearly as heavy anymore. All of that weight being carried by Angel had been lifted the instant the contract was broken. This had been a big deal for him and _nothing_ could be done to properly repay Alastor for this. He just hoped the Radio Demon understood that.

"Ready when you are, Strawberry Pimp~" 

The front door opened for the both of them, Alastor letting Angel go first before ushering himself out his home too. 

"Yes... please refrain from calling me that."  
He asked with a slight eye roll, the two of them walking in the opposite direction to the city center.

Angel walked out of the house and waited for Alastor to decide which way the we're going before walking along at his side and just a bit behind. He heard the request and just gave a small shrug. He wouldn't make any promises.

"Walking, I must say, is an excellent thing to get the brain going! One simply cannot plot great things, in my opinion, unless their legs are moving, haha!"  
It may have sounded stupid, but that was Alastor's way and what he thought worked for him.  
Looking across at Angel, Alastor felt at least glad he didn't bring the pig with him. That certainly seemed like an Angel type of thing to do.  
The Radio Demon did however notice that in the short time he gave Angel before walking out the door, he'd managed to fix his hair a little. A small detail that Alastor had picked up on for some reason or another. 

"My brain seems to be going no matter what I'm doin'. And it sure as hell goes to places I don't mean for it to go in a flat second."  
Angel laughed a bit, only wishing he was kidding about that. It was like his brain was always on speed and crack simultaneously. He didn't even need the drugs for it to be like that usually. However, there was one thing that seemed to bring his mind down to a normal speed and that one thing was obviously anything sexual. Part of the reason why he did what he did.

Facing ahead, microphone acting as a walking stick, Alastor just hummed in response.  
"Ah, the wonders of the brain."  
He added, eyes narrowing.

There was a moments silence before Angel spoke up.  
"So, I got a few more questions about this plan of yours. Or... ours? I don't know."  
Angel stated, trailing off a little as he looked toward the deer just in front of him.

It was no surprise that Angel wanted more questions answered. It was just a matter of whether Alastor could, and was willing to answer them right now. 

"Why, of course. Ask away. And it's _our_ plan, Angel. I hardly doubt I would be able to carry this out on my own and vice versa."  
He already had the answers to some of Angels probable questions. For example, the ones regarding perhaps Valentino, ones about Lucifer and ones that went into slightly more depth about the plan itself. 

Angel gave a nod and took a breath.  
"So- one thing ya gotta understand first is that... as much as I hate... no... I LOATH this fact-" pausing, he shook his head, deciding to just spit it out. 

"Sometimes I'm really dependent and can't make decisions on my own, alright? So, the more detailed ya get with everything, the better I'll be able to execute what ya want me to."  
Angel spoke with his hands a bit. It seemed to help in calming him and keeping his mind on track.  
"Now. I gotta know everything. You know, about this get together. Will there be a theme? How many people will be there? Literally any information you can give me will make things so much easier for the both of us and make everything go smoothly. Just as I'm sure you want."  
Angel knew he was repeating himself and beginning to ramble, which quickly made him stop there.

Alastor just sneered a slight laugh, eyeing the other through his peripheral vision. How unfortunate for Angel, completely dependent- although Alastor understood what he meant.  
"Nope. No themes."  
He quickly answered, knowing that the events and parties Lucifer held were simply formal wear.  
Quickly turning, Alastor prompted Angel to follow him down another road, skewered and ugly looking houses all around them.

"Around a hundred demons I'd say, all of high status down here. If you want to get close to Lucifer, get him to indulge in a few drinks. He won't turn those down."  
There were a few...things Angel needed to know as well.  
"Whatever you do, do not let him see through you and your true intentions. Although with your experience in that sort of thing, I hardly doubt you'll need to worry about that. I'm sure you're a natural with charm, haha!" 

Angel followed Alastor, keeping his eyes on either the ground or on Alastor himself. He never opened up to anyone about himself, so this was kind of taking things out of his comfort zone a bit. Alastor laughing as a response to his insecurities definitely made him feel worse about it.

Regardless, he listened closely, taking all of the information Alastor gave out, and storing it in a safe place within his mind for him to remember later.  
"By that last bit you mean to keep walls up and give no hints as to what's about to happen, right?"  
He paused, starting to think out loud to himself as he rubbed his face in exasperation.  
"Fuck...I'm gunna stick out like a sore thumb at this thing..."

Nodding in response, they once again turned a sharp corner, a few demons lingering around the dark street corners. It was no question why they were there either. Alastor simply ignored them. 

"Precisely, my dear. Precisely! If he asks anything personal, or asks about me, do what demons do best. Lie!"  
It seemed easy enough for Alastor to understand.  
"My dear worry not, you'll be fine!"  
He laughed, arm slinging across Angel's shoulders, as he walked with him for a moment. 

"Yes, there will be countless numbers of demons around who could kill you in an instant, but that's only part of the thrill! Everyone will no doubt recognize you, with your fame and all, so while, yes, you will stick out, what's there to worry about? Your fame only makes things easier!" 

Angel kept his eyes on the ground and stayed close to Alastor as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He almost melted at his touch though. It had been almost a full twenty four hours since he last had any kind of sufficient physical contact, besides the occasional pat on the back.  
He felt deprived at this point so it was hard to keep himself in check.  
"Well, I guess I see your point but at the same time, if I'm gunna lie I gotta come up with a solid story to go with. Like- why did I even come with you. I sure as hell can't say I came alone because I ain't a powerful overlord or anything significant like that."

"Hmm, yes, I suppose."  
Again, that was another thing to think about. If Angel was asked and he told Lucifer that he'd come with Alastor simply...because,well, that simply wouldn't do. Lucifer would then avoid the arachnid with a ten-foot pole placed between them after that.  
"I will come up with a story for you, worry not."  
Nodding, Alastor quickly pulled away out of his shoulder embrace of sorts, brushing himself down as they turned yet another corner. 

"The grand finale of our plans should come into play towards the end of the night, so I do suggest trying your hardest not to ingest any drugs or overbearing amounts of alcohol. You will need to be able to focus."  
He thought he'd bring that up, knowing how Angel could possibly get.  
"Once all is done, you may kill and do as you please. Any demons who object to our plans will be immediately disposed of." 

Angel gave another nod, letting out a heavy breath when he was let go.  
"Got it. No drugs. Small amounts of alcohol."  
He felt a grin pull at the corners of his mouth as he started to think of the possibilities for their night. But it quickly fell again as another thought came into his head.

What was going to happen when they were finished and Alastor was in power? Where would that leave Angel? He was now hoping that if he did a good enough job, Alastor would consider keeping him around. He really wanted that to happen. He needed to do a seamless job in order for that to happen though, and he knew it. 

Alastor was glad Angel understood. He caught the small grin at Angels lips for a brief moment, mild curiosity washing over the Radio Demon as he spotted it fall just as quickly as it had risen.  
"Smile my dear! These are exciting times!"  
He exclaimed, patting Angels back this time with the end of his microphone.  
"You're never fully dressed without one~"  
Alastor continued on, the both of them walking and walking until they were way out of the way of the city, there only being plain open area around, ashes of a past turf war present on the practically bare ground. The atmosphere was almost ominous.

Angel glanced at Alastor when he used his microphone to pat his back, straightening up and fixing his coat. The spider opened his mouth to say something but immediately stopped himself, knowing Alastor wouldn't find it funny. He tried to force a smile to make Alastor happy anyways, the deer didn't seem to like frowning. 

When they came to the barren wasteland, Angel stopped in his tracks and looked around. A few landmarks still stood, giving a hint as to what this place used to be. He stood quietly, arms hanging at his sides. 

"My my, how mundane."  
Alastor chimed happily, leaning upon his microphone as he stopped, looking around at the charred ground, remains of buildings still intact.  
"Well I can definitely take a guess as to what happened here, haha."  
He grinned, quickly turning to Angel. 

"Say, is there anything else you wish to know to help you with your future encounter with Lucifer?"  
He asked, taking into account what Angel had told him earlier about needing as many details as possible.  
"It's certainly not the case anymore, but Lucifer and I _were_ acquainted at some point."

Angel's mind had gone blank. He knew this place all too well. He was pulled from his thoughts once again and looked at Alastor, coming back to the previous topic until Alastor made that final comment. He took a breath.  
"I kinda figured ya were. Ya know so much about him so I guessed you two were friends at some point."

Angel took a few steps further into the ruins. It was so quiet compared to how it was back when he was last in this part of what used to be part of the city, heterochromatic eyes scanning the area. He was starting to wonder if Alastor intended to bring him here and further ask if he knew that he had history here. 

Alastor's intentions, the majority of the time, were never one hundred percent clear. And here? Who knew just what he meant by bringing Angel here. Whether it was intentional or not, no one would ever know.  
Either way, it was clear that the arachnid recognized these ruins.

"I wouldn't say we were friends."  
Alastor quickly added, eyes narrowing a little as he followed behind Angel, beginning to walk ahead a bit.  
"No no, not in the slightest."  
Leaving it almost too vague for Angel, Alastor found himself almost frowning a moment, smile faltering, a few of his own memories resurfacing once again. 

Angel continued looking around and loosely followed Alastor. Small clouds of the settled ash trailed their feet as they walked. 

"Well, whatever you two were, ya know a lot."  
He shrugged as they continued their stroll.

"But back to the topic of our plans. Does he prefer ladies or gents? I wanna get something new to wear for the occasion and I wanna know whether to get a suit or a dress. Y'know."  
His voice was soft as his focus was more on the surrounding area while his mind was on their task, both thoughts clearly clashing.

It perhaps didn't help the already ominous atmosphere when a crackling, static, slightly slowed version of Alastor's favorite song started to play from the demon. Haunting lyrics of 'Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile' almost echoing amongst the rubbled and dusty wasteland. 

"The devil has no preference."  
He stated simply, almost curtly, moving a few loose rocks out the way with the end of his microphone.  
"Wear a suit or a dress, the plan still goes on and works regardless." 

Angel gave a small nod, slowly trailing behind Alastor, feeling a slight shiver down his spine at the music that suddenly began. It definitely put him off a bit.  
If they didn't know each other before this, he would have been convinced Alastor was about to kill him in some twisted and dark way. 

"Alright...good to know."  
Angel said softly, looking to his right and stopping again, pausing. Out of curiosity he walked over to what used to be a street corner and put his hand against the ruined wall of a building.

This was where his story in Hell began. This was where he manifested. Where Grimaldi found him. A few quick flashes of the events in that very spot ran through his mind. 

Alastor raised a slight brow as Angel stopped, his gaze trailing down to where one of the arachnid's hands was pressed against the remains of what looked like a building.  
The spider seemed deep in thought, almost troubled.

"A place of familiarity to you, perhaps? Significance?"  
Alastor slowly asked, the usual chipper tone masked with something a little more... normal?  
The Radio Demon knew of this place, yet to him it held no value nor significance. But every demon down in Hell was different. They all had their stories, their pasts... and their beginnings.  
"My dear friend, why, your face looks as if you've been hit with some good old nostalgia!" 

Angel quickly cut in, shaking his head.  
"I wouldn't say it was good... but yeah, nostalgia sure enough...."  
He gave a small laugh, being pulled back to the present again. He never wanted to come back to this spot, so the day he saw it be demolished on the TV back then; he could remember letting out a loud sigh of relief.  
Angel took his hand back off of the wall and looked at the soot left on his glove. He rubbed his fingers together a bit before looking down at the ground. He started scanning the uneven floor as if looking for something, kicking the rubble and ash out of the way as he searched. 

Angel suddenly stopped, knowing it was a long shot to have something from so long ago still be there after all that time. He started making his way back over to Alastor, keeping his eyes fixed on that corner. 

Alastor watched from a slight distance as Angel looked around a bit, kicking at rubble, scanning the ground for something. 

"Something you're looking for?"  
Alastor piped up, noticing Angels sustained untested interest in a particular corner of rubble. You could only assume he was looking for something.  
"I hardly doubt there's anything left here. Unless your interests include piles of ash or broken rocks, ha ha!" 

Pacing around a little, Alastor made his microphone disappear, bending down to collect a pinch of ash, letting it blow away in the heat of the slight breeze there was here.  
"Why, I remember when this place was reduced to ashes... do you?" 

Angel simply shook his head at Alastor's first question, knowing that what he'd lost a long time ago was no longer there.  
"I wasn't here for it physically but I remember seein' it on the news. The wave of relief I felt that fuckin' day- heh... never thought I'd ever have a reason to come back..."  
Angel turned to face Alastor and continued the short walk back, stopping about two feet away from the other demon. 

Alastors expression was unreadable as he listened.  
"Oh?"  
Relief, well that was something he wasn't expecting.  
"A bad memory then."  
He thought out loud, watching as Angel turned to face him.  
"If I may, what happened exactly? I'm rather curious now that we're on the subject." 

Alastor could remember when this place was destroyed. An all-out turf war between three of Hell's high overlords. It didn't end in smiles and apologies, that was for sure. 

Angel took a breath, glancing back at the corner and then to his right.  
"This is where I first appeared... that corner was where Grimaldi found me."  
He figured there was no harm in talking about what had happened. It was in the past and he'd gotten his revenge on the sack of shit back at the casino. 

"We found each other... or... he found me. We immediately got involved and when I thought I could trust him and take my guard down...he sold me off to Valentino. I was forced into the contract with him by Grimaldi- and obviously, the fucker got a fuck ton of money for it."  
Angel started hugging himself as he sadly spoke, trying to comfort himself from the painful memories alone. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes. He didn't know why; he thought he was over it and moved on. His voice started to shake nontheless.  
"-because I was so scared and dependent, I believed every fucking word he said. Telling me he'd still be with me and that he loved me... and the second that contract was made, he left. Just like that."  
He shook his head and wiped his eyes with his upper set of hands while the lower set continued to hug himself increasingly tighter.  
"I realize now how stupid I was and still am. I learned not to be so trusting no matter what. Not that I needed that under Val.."

Grimaldi. Yes, the pitiful demon who had been groveling for mercy back at the casino. Alastor was surprised that such a poor excuse for a demon had that sort of impact on Angel. Then again, he supposed the arachnid was quite vulnerable after having just manifested, not knowing what was going on most likely. Not to mention, when he was palmed off to Valentino that probably didn't help him in the slightest. 

Alastor watched on with a still rather unreadable expression as he noticed tears in the other demons eyes, second set of arms comforting himself. Like he'd mentioned before, he was an empty shell of a demon, no compassion. There hadn't been for years, but there was something about this whole situation that really made Alastor think. It was confusing. 

"Never trust a demon."  
Was all he said, music and static cutting out as he took a few steps forwards and awkwardly placed a cold palm to Angel's shoulder. It was the best he was going to get as some form of comfort from the Radio Demon. 

Angel shook his head and laughed softly, wiping his eyes.  
"Where was that advice 70 plus years ago?"  
He took a deep breath and patted Alastor's hand twice.  
"It's fine. It's all said and done. No going back. I'm over it."

That was what really got to Angel. He had always been so dependent even when he was alive. He couldn't function on his own. He needed someone to take care of him at all times like some kind of fucking kid. The demon hated it, but when he tried to be independent... well, look where that got him. Dead and sold off. 

Alastor supposed that was true. Angel had been down here in Hell almost as long as the Radio Demon himself. Obviously, his misfortunes had been greater than Alastor's in that time. Then again, even in life, Alastor had been smart enough and trusted no human. 

"Well, you got your revenge...I'd call that a win, my friend."  
He reassured, turning a little away from Angel to look back in the direction of the city. 

"Let's not get all down about it, smile! Now, I suspect your pig will be wanting some food pretty soon, no? Any suggestions?"  
Wanting to change the subject away from the somber past, Alastor began his walk back in the direction they'd came from, a slight spring in his step.

Angel took a deep breath and gave a small nod. He knew it was dumb to dwell too much. He fluffed his chest and followed Alastor back out of the ruins. 

"I almost forgot about Fat Nuggets."  
He laughed to himself.  
"I'm sure I could pick something up on our way back. Knowing pigs, they'll eat anything."

He said as he brushed the soot off of himself. A few final memories of Grimaldi flashed in his mind as they left. He never wanted to go back to that place. No matter what. 

So, it seemed 'Fat Nuggets' _was_ the name Angel had settled upon.  
"Yes, they will!"  
Alastor nodded, knowing that pigs indeed did eat anything.  
"Even bodies! Why, nothings left of them once the pigs have at them!"  
He laughed, not letting Angel know whether he was joking of not. Of course, he was completely serious.  
Alastor lead the way out of the rubble, rows of haphazardly built tall buildings, flashing lights and chaos coming into view as they made their way back into the center of Pentagram city.

Angel gave a nod.  
"I know. The average human body weighs around 137 pounds and the average fully grown pig weighs about 440 pounds. The general estimation for how much food a pig is able to consume is about 5 to 6 pounds per hundred pounds of pig, eating 5, to 5 and a half pounds of body weight, meaning 24 pounds consumed per day. Of course, for a single average pig it would take almost a week to do, but with a few more, the body would be gone within a day."  
He started to ramble on the math subconsciously, remembering everything remotely used his father taught him while he was alive and still considered family.  
"Fat Nuggets ain't very big though. I'd say about a hundred pounds alone."

Alastor hummed, nodding at Angel's words of fact as they walked along.  
"Why, that's quite a lot of knowledge you have on that, haha." 

Angel came back to the world outside of his thoughts.  
"Um, yeah you can thank my Dad for all that. Mob business an' shit."

The deer laughed, microphone clacking along the now stone ground with every step he took.  
"And once the pig dies, there'll hopefully be enough bacon for a long while! Excellent idea to take the pig on, fatten him up for a while and then we'll have quite the feast I'd say when the time comes!"

Angel paused for a moment, listening to whatever Alastor was saying. He didn't want to think about his pet dying yet. He just got him, and so far he loved the damn thing more than anything. 

Eyes narrowing as he looked across at the other, his gaze quickly returned ahead as he began to hum a tune to himself.  
"Any places that aren't of a sexual nature that you enjoy going to?"

Angel thought about that for a moment, eventually settling on an answer.  
"I used to love going to a club that was just for swing and jazz. I dunno if it's still around though. Been a long time since I've even thought about going out for fun."  
And the arachnid meant that too. He wasn't allowed to go anywhere unless he had intentions of getting money out of some saps in exchange for his services.  
Not since Valentino had him and even then, he'd go with Grimaldi before that. The more he thought about it the more he wanted to rip his own eyes and brain out as a distraction from all of that.

Simply huffing a laugh at the first part, Alastor's attention was immediately grabbed at the mention of a swing and jazz club. It had been far too long since he'd gone to one of those, and even at the mere mention, he was instantly intrigued. 

"Why, that sounds wonderful!"  
He exclaimed, turning to look at the other with his grin.  
"Do you know the location? I'm quite sure I know the place you mean however I could be wrong."  
Angel looked as if he needed a little relaxation after that involuntary trip down memory lane, and when it came to jazz, Alastor was never going to say no. 

Angel looked up at Alastor from the ground. Alastor didn't really seem like the kind to go out and just enjoy a night out without killing anyone, so he wasn't too sure about this.  
"It was on the East side of the city, if I remember correctly. Why? You're actually considering it?!"  
Angel wasn't sure he was up for it but if Alastor was going; he wasn't going to decline. He wanted any excuse he could find to be close to the other demon. Although, he wasn't sure if it was because of his dependence or some other reason.

"Why, of course I'm considering it! There's nothing like some good old-fashioned jazz! And if swing is played too, I'd say that's a bonus!"  
Switching the direction he'd planned to go, Alastor turned so that they began to head East, just as Angel had said.

"I have a something of soft spot for jazz clubs, undeniably. Anything music related!"  
The Radio Demon began. He usually wasn't one to talk about this sort of stuff, but the right and appropriate occasion had arisen. 

"Back when I was alive, I used to go to them all the time! Ah, they were filled with such entertainment!"  
Not to mention, victims were so easily swayed after a relaxing night out at the jazz club, nothing on their mind other than the music. Those were the good old days... 

Angel followed close behind, listening to Alastor talk. He wasn't complaining at all. He loved listening to Alastor talk. Anything and everything Alastor said sounded interesting and also oddly relaxing. It was odd to think about, but hey. That's just how it was. 

He just nodded along with Alastor's words. The hints he was giving to what he did during his life were something Angel least expected, but absorbed it all regardless. He wanted to know more about Alastor anyways, the good and the bad. The deer was obviously in Hell with the amount of power he did for a reason. That much was obvious.  
"Well, it sure loosened me up when I needed it so your target set was pretty damn good if ya ask me."

Feeling as if he was getting a little carried away with himself, or at least deciding to stop before he did just that, Alastor quietened down about anything that happened prior to his manifestation here. It wasn't necessary knowledge right now anyways. 

So back to the matter at hand. They were heading towards the East side of the city.  
"You'll have to say when you suppose we're near, I don't quite remember the location."  
He nodded, turning slightly back to where Angel was just walking behind him. 

Angel took a quick glance around to make sure he knew where they were and nodded.  
"Almost there." He simply stated as things became more and more familiar. It felt like forever since he'd been around this part of the city.  
"Al, I dunno if this question is gunna overstep but- did you have a significant other at any point in your existence?"  
It was another thing that he'd been curious about this and had wanted to ask at some point. Alastor was a huge mystery to literally everyone and Angel started to figure that, much like himself, if you asked the right questions at the right time he would spill something that could help reveal how exactly he ticked. 

Alastor gave a simple nod of understanding as Angel stated they were almost there. He wasn't too familiar with the East side of Pentagram City either, but it was rather nice to come here.  
As Angel spoke up again, Alastor raised a brow, stopping in his tracks for a brief moment as he heard the question.  
"Ah-"  
He began, continuing walking again. Now that was a question nobody had ever asked. And it was a subject Alastor hadn't thought about in years.

"For a short while I did."  
He replied curtly, some old memories, long and repressed, resurfacing much to Alastor's mild despair.  
"But it was a long long, long time ago." He nodded, emphasizing the 'long'. 

This new information was intriguing. Angel didn't think Alastor was capable of... well, feeling. He seemed to always be wrapped up in his schemes for finding 'entertainment'.

The spider wanted a few more questions answered but this topic didn't seem like one Alastor was necessarily up to discussing, given the fact he stopped for a moment and he could hear it in his voice past the static radio effect that it wasn't something he thought often about or wanted to remember for that matter. 

"Hm. Alrighty then."  
Angel hummed and shrugged his shoulders. As they continued to walk, he was starting to remember more of the area. Thank the gods. 

Alastor almost sighed out loud as Angel seemed to move past the subject. Usually, the Radio Demon was more than happy to answer any questions, the ego surrounding himself and his endeavours down in Hell, rather high. However, his past? Not so much. 

They continued on, Alastor falling silent, just the simple hum of static following them, faint raised voices arguing somewhere in the background of the city. Not surprising.  
"I'm presuming we're almost there?"  
He let out, eyebrow raising.

Angel nodded, walking a bit faster to move in front of Alastor.  
"Right there, actually!"  
He smiled, pointing to a smaller building just down the street and across the road. He quickly headed in its direction with a skip in his step. This should be fun- seeing Alastor dance and enjoy himself without all of the murder to top it all off. Hopefully. 

Alastor followed quickly behind Angel, something almost akin to excitement building up within the Radio Demon at the promise of a simple night out. Just jazz and swing. Nothing more than the pleasant music. 

It was much to his relief, once they stood outside, that the small venue was actually still in business. The faint hum of a saxophone could be heard from the entrance that had steps leading downwards, as well as dull chatter. 

"After you!"  
Alastor nodded, arm extending, signalling for Angel to go first down the steps of the small building. 

Angel smiled and bowed his head a bit in thanks before heading into the building and down the stairs into the dimmed light of the lower level.


	11. Swingin' Bar Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo~ two chapters in one day, hope you all enjoy 😉

Angel got to the bottom of the stairs and turned the corner, a bunch of other demons dancing to the music was all that could be seen in the dimmed lighting. This brought back some very welcome memories. The music was a very welcome sound.

Alastor followed Angel down, the music getting louder and louder with every step he took down until eventually, demons of all shapes and sizes could be seen dancing to the music.  
The sound was very nostalgic, the whole tone it had to it, even the beat. No modern music could compare.  
"Shall we sit?"  
He asked, grin only growing as he and Angel pushed through a few demons.

Angel was so busy looking around and taking everything in, that he almost didn’t hear Alastor.  
"Oh- I was gunna get us some drinks, so if you wanna go find a spot I'll bring one over for ya."  
He fixed his coat a bit, looking for the available bar that was there when had come here all that time ago.  
"What kinda drink are ya interested in?"  
Angel asked when he finally located the bar across the room. They had moved it since the last time he was here. 

Nodding, Alastor looked around a bit, scanning the room for any seats. There were some to the left.  
"Just a bourbon will do, my dear."  
He replied, nodding in thanks as he watched Angel walk over to the bar. Luckily it didn't look too busy there right now. They must have come at a good time. 

Once Angel was at the bar, Alastor pushed past a few demons to reach the seating area that was just off to the side. Grabbing a table, the deer demon sat down, one leg crossing over the other, his foot tapping along in time to the piano solo that was currently being played expertly by some demon in the band. 

Angel squeezed and pushed his way through the small crowd to reach the bar. One thing he didn't enjoy was being squeezed, so this was a bit uncomfortable to say the least. He hummed along to the music that was playing though, and promptly asked for their drinks. Angel had been given quite a few looks from other demons that were dotted around there room, and it seemed that Alastor had received them too. 

The arachnid was quickly paid for their drinks, making sure he tipped before he headed back over to where Alastor was sat with a smile.  
As Alastor quietly sat at the table, he silently observed everyone around him, a habit of sorts. He was receiving a few looks of different sorts from a couple demons around, however the majority were just minding their own business.

"Bourbon for the gentleman~"  
Angel stated with a grin as he handed Alastor the glass, a martini glass in one of his other hands for himself.  
Sitting down in the chair beside Alastor, Angel took the first sip at his martini as he looked out at all of the other dancing demons. 

The Radio Demon turned his head in the direction of Angel as he heard him call out, bringing the drinks over before sitting beside him.  
"Why, thank you!"  
He grinned back, taking a sip of the drink as it was handed to him.  
"Won’t you look at that, there are demons observing us.”  
Alastor stated with a small chuckle, not bothered as he took another sip of the alcohol, looking back towards where the music was being played live. 

Angel pulled the glass away from his lips with a shrug.  
"'Course! Got a handsome demon over here and some other bitch he picked up on the street. Obviously, they're gunna be lookin' over in our direction.” Glancing at Alastor, he gave a smug look.  
"Not to mention, said two demons did just wreck an entire casino the other day, consequently tearing some huge asses wide open."  
He took another sip, leaning back in his chair.

The Radio Demon couldn't help but chuckle at that, leaning back in his seat a bit as well.  
"Yes, that whole casino fiasco was extremely entertaining. I very much enjoyed it."  
He laughed, remembering fondly of the piles of bodies they'd managed to stack up as well as all the blood that stained the air once they'd finished their spree. Why, it was almost too tempting to do again right here, but he and Angel were out for a night of relaxation for once, not murder sprees. Perhaps some other time. 

"We'll have to do it again sometime."  
Angel hummed, his leg bouncing to the music a bit. As much as he didn't necessarily want to come here at first, he was glad he did. It was a good distraction to pull him back to the present. His mind was already clearer. 

"There's nothing like live music down here in Hell, as scarce as that is!"

"Ya know, it’s one of the only places that does it. Probably the only reason it's still open after all this time if ya really think about it."  
The arachnid hummed, taking another sip of his martini, pressing his lips together slightly.  
"Do you dance?"  
He almost let the word 'Strawberry Pimp' slip out as he spoke, but stopped himself due to Alastors past request.

Alastor nodded absentmindedly at that, definitely wanting to go on another killing spree soon before the deal between them was complete now that the idea was in his head. 

He definitely could see why this place was still open though. It was livid and it seemed like it was like that most times, judging from how exhausted the bartenders looked at the bar when they'd come in. 

There was a moments comfortable silence between them as they simply enjoyed the music around them. Until Angel spoke up. Alastor raised a brow as he placed his drink back down on the table.  
"Depends on what type of dancing you mean."  
He replied, mildly skeptical. The poor deer demon didn't even want to imagine what kind of dancing Angel could think up with that filthy mind of his.  
"If you're asking whether I know how to dance _properly_ , then yes. I do.” 

Angel could practically hear what Alastor was thinking when it came to the dancing question, rolling his eyes a bit at Alastors lack of faith.  
"Hey now, I'll have you know, good sir, that I am an excellent dancer!”  
He jabbed, pointing a finger at Alastor with narrowed eyes, shaking his head in disappointment.  
"I may be a damn good porn star but my life hasn't always revolved around sex."  
He huffed, downing the rest of his drink without a second thought. 

"We're gunna dance when you finish your drink." He stated, with no ifs or buts, setting his glass down.

Alastor was silent in response, not quite finding the fact that Angel knew how to properly dance, too surprising. After all, back when they were alive, a lot of people knew how to dance. 

"Why, you could have fooled me!"  
He retorted smugly, taking another sip of his drink as Angel folded his arms over his chest and stomach, sticking his tongue out at Alastor.  
"Fine. But just this once."  
Alastor nodded, voice still as cheery as ever, making sure to drink his alcohol a little slower now that Angel had proposed they dance after his beverage had been finished.  
"Let's hope you're not a foot stepper! I hardly doubt I'd enjoy my feet getting crushed by those big boots of yours."

"Hey, I ain't no beginner! I mean, I can step on feet if I really wanna. But I only usually do that if the asshole _really_ deserves it."  
He knew that Alastor was taking his time now that he told him the deal, eyes narrowing.  
Tapping his fingers against the table, Angel hummed.  
"Ever hear of a thing called Electro swing?"  
Angel asked, curious after seeing a poster advertising a day specifically for the genre at the bar. It was something he'd like to attend, but wasn't exactly sure if Alastor would enjoy it though.

Alastor didn’t have to think about the question, the answer already in mind.  
"No. I am not familiar with that genre of music. However, I can make a guess."  
He replied slowly, still sipping at his drink. Alastor was not one to keep up with all the modern music trends and genres, and had definitely never heard of 'electro swing'.  
"Why?"  
Questioning the spider on whether he knew of the genre, Alastor finally finished up the last of his drink, placing the now empty glass down on the table with a clink.

Angel glanced over at Alastor again, his features softening slightly as he observed the deer.  
"They have a thing here once a week where it's just Electro swing. Kind of interested in seein' what it's about. Was wondering if you'd be interested in joinin' me? Maybe?”  
He looked at the now empty glass for a moment, a small grin pulling at his lips.

Sure, Alastor may have not been familiar with the ways of the modern world, both on Earth and down here in Hell, however that didn't mean he wasn't possibly open to what it could provide.  
"I suppose I could accompany you. See what it's all about."  
He nodded with a small shrug.  
He may have been a little skeptical dancing here, however Alastor was a man of his word. Ignoring the rather mischievous grin Angel adorned, the radio demon stood, sighing a little.  
"Let us dance then."  
Alastor began, slowly holding his hand out for Angel to take. As gentlemanly as always. 

Angel felt his heart leap at the gesture. He could tell how much Alastor wasn't entirely into this idea, yet he still offered his hand regardless. He didn't hesitate in taking it, standing as well, his three other arms tucked neatly behind his back. 

"You're not gunna regret this~"  
He purred out as they made their way out to the open floor, a new song about to begin as the previous one faded out. 

"No, but you might!"  
The deer batted back with a grin, leading Angel over to the floor where a few demons were, the live music starting up again just beyond them. 

Angel raised a brow at his response, his own grin not faltering. If anything, it only managed to grow. When Alastor managed to get Angel to regret dancing together, Hell would have been likely to freeze over.

Once they got there, Alastor stood still, letting go of Angel's hand and turning to him.  
It had been a long time since he'd done anything like this. It was just as well a new song had started up- finding a rhythm to dance to with a song that was already halfway through, was usually awkward.  
"Alright my friend, let's see if you can _really_ dance!"

Moving into their spot, Angel faced Alastor, arms at his sides. It had been a while since he'd danced as well, so this would be an interesting experience to say the least.  
"Right back atcha!"  
Angel took a few moments to retract his lower set of arms, like he could his third set, to make things a bit less awkward in having a set of appendages that weren't of use to him in this situation.

Alastor's gaze went off to the band starting to play the music before it returned to Angel. The song wasn't too fast and luckily wasn't too slow either. It was a tune he recognized nonetheless. 

"Would you like me to lead?"  
Alastor asked slowly, static quietening down so that the music could be heard better. 

It was certainly an odd situation to find himself in- the Radio Demon, leading a famous porn star on the dance floor of a jazz and swing club.  
Hesitantly, Alastor guided a hand to one of Angels, his other hand lightly resting on the arachnid's waist. He straightened his posture a little, chin up, smile not faltering.

Angel took Alastor's hand and rested his other upon the demons upper bicep.  
"I'm a better follower, so you leading would be ideal."  
He replied, keeping his mismatched eyes on Alastor's red ones. He was absolutely going to absorb all of this contact seeing as he didn't know the next time he'd be touched again. In the least weirdest way possible. 

Alastor silently appreciated the fact that Angel had retracted his second set of arms, them not being able to get in the way now as they danced. 

Despite the fact that Angel was slightly taller than him by a few inches, most likely half down to his heeled boots, Alastor took the lead regardless, keeping his back straight and arms strong as he led Angel into the steps. 

They moved in time to the music, Alastor's expression neutral as he stepped decisively, mildly impressed that Angel had been correct- he was keeping up quite well. 

Angel did have to admit that if he'd known they would be coming to this place to dance, he wouldn't have chosen to wear his normal boots, but they seemed to do just fine for now. Alastor didn't seem to be complaining. His own smile genuine and bright. 

As they danced, Angel was glad Alastor was such a good leader, picking up on the energy he was giving off to help determine his next moves and how to easily follow along. The six-count basic step was always nice to start with in his opinion. 

Indeed, Alastor too, if he had known that he was going to dance, would have made sure to wear perhaps more suiting shoes. However, it didn't matter. What was done was done and here Alastor was, rather enjoying this pleasant time on the dance floor. 

All during the time they were dancing, Angel was smiling brightly, letting out small and quiet giggles here and there out of enjoyment.  
Alastor could see the joy in Angel's expression as they danced, it was almost refreshing to see on a demon down here, and Alastor had to admit, he was feeling a certain way that he hadn't truly felt in a while.

It seemed the song finished all too quickly, the music coming to an end, both him and Angel stopping the movement of their feet. However, it wasn't long before the next song began, starting off with an immediately fast paced trumpet solo, definitely bringing the whole mood up in the room almost in an instant. 

The spider started to catch his breath when the music stopped for the brief moment, raising his brows at Alastor when the next song started to play as if to suggest another dance.  
He didn't want it to end. This was too much fun and probably the only time they'd be able to do anything like this for another week if Alastor decided to accompany him again after all.

When the music stopped and the next song began, Alastor looked to Angel, brow raised in curiosity to see what the other would do. As the arachnid raised his brows in response, Alastor took that as a cue to carry on, his leading steps a little faster this time, matching the tempo of the new tune. 

The room was lividly alive, drunken cheers, laughter and the sounds of feet dancing filling the room. A truly pleasant atmosphere.

Angel followed along easily to Alastor's lead once again; pure joy evident on his face as they continued to dance. This really took him back to the days that he'd go out dancing during his living years, and the sounds that surrounded them made it all the more nostalgic.

It was as a rather jazzy saxophone cut in, switching up the pace a moment, that Alastor lifted the hand that held Angels, prompting him to spin a couple times around. 

Angel let go of Alastor's arm and spun upon the request, letting a laugh emit from his throat. This was everything he could have ever asked for, even if Alastor didn't share the feelings he was feeling in that moment, he was used to it by then.  
Alastor didn't have to continue dancing but he did. All of those years of only being used for others momentary pleasure was just the norm for him, but this was a bit different. His own happiness and nonsexual needs were being taken care of this time instead of the other way around. He greatly appreciated this gesture, as small and insignificant it may have been to the Radio Demon. But it meant everything to Angel. 

Alastor gave no comment on the spider's joy, simply letting him enjoy this moment. It seemed that emotionally, this had been quite a lot for him these past days and, yes, Alastor could understand that. He couldn't let his accomplice be mentally unstable, to some extent, so yeah Alastor saw this as good.  
He chuckled as Angel spun in front of him, sharp yellow grin only widening.

Eventually though, the song came to a stop, demons from the bar area cheering, clearly in a good mood from the upbeat tune. 

Letting Angels hand go, Alastor caught his breath a moment, however his composure remained the same.  
"Why, that was quite the dance, if I do say so! Yes, very entertaining!" 

Angel panted lightly as the song came to an end. The faster pace had him a bit winded but his smile was still very much there.  
"Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did!"  
The arachnid beamed, taking a few more moments to catch his breath before making his way back to their table. He sat down and brought his second pair of arms back out. It felt weird having only one set of arms out for so long so it was a bit of a relief to bring them out again.

Nodding softly, Alastor held his arms behind his back as he walked with Angel back over to their table, sitting down and taking a brief moment to straighten himself out a little and fix his bow tie. 

"Absolutely, my good friend! Absolutely. I haven't danced like that in years, haha!"  
The Radio Demon smiled, eyes narrowing as he looked down to his empty glass, tutting a little. 

Angel kept his wide grin, giving a soft hum and nodded in agreement.  
"Me too! That was so great! We should do it again sometime-"

A quick look to the bar told him that it would be a while before they were served, but that was no worry. With a wave of his arm over his and Angel's empty glasses, almost like some cheap magic trick, the glasses were filled up once more with alcohol.

Angel paused when he saw Alastor refill their drinks. He wanted to question it but knew how stupid that would have been. Instead, he picked up his glass and raised it in thanks.  
"Thanks, sugar~"  
He hummed before taking a sip.

Ignoring the ill-fitting name Angel gave him, as he usually did, Alastor raised his glass in response.  
"Yes, it certainly was thrilling. Perhaps that electro swing night you suggested will be similar."  
He nodded, taking a swig of his drink, smug smile upon his face. 

However, as if on cue to Alastor placing his drink down on the table, the familiar saxophone solo began to a song that almost everyone knew. 

_Careless Whisper._

And the wolf whistles around the room only solidified the fact that everyone knew the song. How unfortunate. 

Angel nearly choked on his drink at the all too familiar and well timed song, quickly taking the glass away from his lips and covering his mouth to avoid spitting out the liquid. This sure as hell wasn't swing nor jazz, but holy shit was this ever funny. Thank you, Wham! for being so fucking great. 

The spider adjusted himself and tried his hardest not to laugh. He knew Alastor wouldn't know this song because it was from the 80's, then again, this song was very popular so he could have heard it somewhere by chance.  
He started to sing along while rocking back and forth in his seat a bit, bouncing his head to the slow beat. The chorus started up and Angel looked to Alastor with a grin, directing the words at him with purposely lidded eyes. 

_"I'm never gunna dance again, guilty feet have got no rhythm~_  
_Though it's easy to pretend, I know you're not a fool~_  
_I should have known better than to cheat a friend and waste a chance that I've been given~_  
_So, I'm never gunna dance again the way I dance with you~"_  
As he sang, he started really hamming it up with dramatic hand gestures, putting as much feeling into it as he could. 

Alastor sat there, lips pursed slightly as he noticed a few demons on the dance floor dancing in a way that matched the tone of the song. Filthy.  
He was rather confused as to why this was playing though, as he listened on, it definitely didn't sound like jazz or swing. Perhaps some demon scum had requested it be played. 

Alastor found his gaze wandering over to Angel as the demon began singing along to the lyrics, moving around a little to the song. The Radio Demon simply continued to sip at his drink, brow raising as he watched curiously as Angel acted out all sorts of dramatic gestures, matching the lyrics he was singing.

Alastor's expression was absolutely priceless to Angel. He looked so unamused and just overall displeased yet he still kept that damn smile of his, even as he took a drink.  
Angel continued with his silly, cheesy actions and singing, directing all of his energy and hand gestures towards Alastor. 

_"Tonight, the music seems so loud! I wish that we could lose this crowd~"_  
He added a bit of an eyebrow wiggle to those lyrics, fluffing his chest with a smirk, golden tooth shining under the dim lighting.  
_"Maybe it's better this way, we'd hurt each other with the things we'd want to say~"_  
That last part was probably the truest statement that had ever left Angel's mouth. 

Alastor just deadpanned as he watched Angel sing the words, adding eyebrow wiggles where appropriate- which was nowhere in Alastor's opinion. 

"Tell me angel, do you value your eyebrows?"  
He asked smugly, finishing the last few drops of his drink.  
God. How long did this song last...? 

Angel froze and tilted his head slightly, pausing his singing. That was a weird question.  
"I-I mean.... kinda? But if I lost 'em I could always draw them back on? I-... Wh-... What kind of fuckin' question is that?"  
Angel laughed a bit, shaking his head in confusion. The song soon ended, the band playing another song that Alastor wouldn't have recognized. It was a postmodern version of a song Angel loved.

Angel didn't wanna know what kind of question that was, so Alastor didn't decide to enlighten him there. Not especially as the song finally came to an end, another immediately beginning afterward. The next song that started to play, was again one that Alastor was not familiar with, it most likely having been made after his time.

"Hm, I am not familiar with this one. Are you?"  
Alastor asked, looking across to the other curiously. 

Angel gave a quick nod, smiling. His mind quickly jumped to the new topic.  
"Oh yeah! I love this song! It's a remake of a newer song. 2015, I think? It's called "Habits". You won't like it. The lyrics probably ain't relatable to you in any way. Drugs, sex and heartache. Shit like that."  
Angel shrugged, humming along to the words, leaning forward a bit and put his upper set of elbows on the table, resting his chin in his palms while the lower set of hands folded in his lap.

Alastor wasn't surprised, and yes, Angel was correct. Sex, drugs and heartache weren't relatable to him at all- that latter one, at least not anymore. 

"Why, sounds like a drag if you ask me! Not very entertaining at all, haha."  
The deer laughed, simply sitting back to listen to the music from the live band. 

While they were sort of on the topic though, Alastor thought he would ask.  
"You asked me earlier, so I am asking the same. Did you have a significant other in your life?"  
Alastor wasn't too interested, and he already knew that Angel had been tied to Grimaldi and Valentino down here in Hell for the past however many years, but what about before that when he was a human living his life on Earth? 

Angel looked down at the table for a moment before raising his gaze again, looking at the crowd of dancing demons.  
"Mm... yeah, I had one serious relationship."  
He wanted to keep the details as vague as possible. The way that relationship ended was about half of the reason he was in down here in Hell to begin with. 

Alastor simply nodded, taking Angels vagueness as a sign to not press on further. Usually when the arachnid was talking he went on forever, so this was clearly a subject he wasn't fond of. 

"Ah, very well!"  
He exclaimed, the song that was playing coming to an end, the demons playing announcing that they were taking a break for a few minutes. 

Once again, Alastor looked back to the bar which was now heaving, people from the dance floor heading over there to ingest some alcohol now that the music had stopped. Shaking his head once again, Alastor just crossed one leg over the other, looking back over to Angel again. 

Angel was open to talking about anything. Except that relationship. That one thing was the only thing he didn't want to talk about under any circumstances. Maybe eventually, but even after all of these years it was still something that hurt him deeply. 

Angel quickly finished his drink and took a breath.  
"Well, are we gunna stay a bit longer or do you have plans elsewhere?"  
He decided to ask, changing the subject to something that wouldn't die immediately... hopefully.

Thinking about Angels question a moment, Alastor crossed his arms.  
"Hmm, nope! I shall be out all day tomorrow, attending to some...business- so you may do what you like then. We can leave or stay here, whichever you prefer." 

Yes, the Radio Demon was going to be held up all the next day, so Angel would be on his own for the most part. Unless you counted the pig as company. 

The both of their drinks were soon finished, the bar was too busy, and the music had momentarily ended. Perhaps it was a good time to leave before any bar fights broke out. Then again, that would be awfully entertaining... 

"Oh, another business deal? Can I come?"  
Angel seemed pretty excited about it. He didn't want to be left alone for an entire day. Then again, if Alastor didn't want to have him along he would probably be able to go find someone to help occupy his time and get a bit of money out of it at the same time. Someone always wanted his services somewhere for a decent price. 

The spider stayed in his seat, concluding that they'd stay for a while longer. A bar fight was likely to happen and Angel wanted in on it. It would be a good way to let off some steam. 

For the next day, Alastor had some business with another demon, one who he'd made a deal with a long long time ago. Now their deal was up, the other demon would have to keep their end of the deal and oh so kindly give Alastor their soul. The Radio Demon knew that the other never thought the day would come, but unfortunately for them, it had. He never usually sought after other demons, but this was something he couldn’t let slide after so long. 

"You can come if you wish, however I will not be responsible for any injuries you may acquire along the way." Was all he said. 

At that moment, it seemed that the crowd around the bar was starting to get a little more unruly, voices raising a little before the loud crash of a chair being thrown across the room could be heard.  
"Why, if I'm not mistaken, I'd say a fight was about to break out. Haha!" 

Angel was about to reply to Alastor's statement but the raised voices cut him off, causing him to sigh and roll his eyes, looking over to the bar. 

"About fuckin' time. Shit was gettin' too comfy in here."  
Angel leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms up over his head, waiting to see if it would make its way over to them. He didn't feel like getting up to join. The dancing still had him a bit tired.

Alastor grinned smugly, only agreeing with Angels words. The pleasant atmosphere had been nice while it lasted, but now the real fun was staring. He too leant back in his seat, watching the show as it unfolded.

As the chair was chucked, another demon seemed to join in, and finally punches were being thrown. No one tried to break it up, in fact, everyone who was surrounding the brawl seemed to only encourage it, cheering and clapping. A few demons who hadn't even been a part of the original fight jumped in, the sound of smashing glasses and shouting filling the air. 

Angel let out a laugh, watching the fight happen.  
He was contemplating pulling out his pocket pistol and popping a few bullets into some of those idiots, but didn't want to waste his ammunition on some worthless dumbasses. Not yet at least. The area around them was pretty empty now, all of the demons in the club either participating in the fight or surrounding the action. He folded his arms over his torso and crossed one knee over the other with a grin.  
"God this is fun."

Alastor stood up a moment, wanting to get a better view of the fight since there were quite a few demons gathered around now.  
"Yes, there's nothing quite like a good fight. Really gets you going haha!"  
Alastor chuckled, summoning his microphone and hitting a demon around the back with the end. Immediately the rather built demon turned around, shoving a demon who he thought had hit him, to the ground. By then, Alastor had already backed away, scanning the room for any other trouble he could cause. 

It was perfect timing that the band started back up again, a fast-paced swing song beginning with a double bass riff before the other instruments came in. 

Angel couldn't help but continue cackling. This was stupidly funny to him. He stood up and moved to Alastor's side, pulling one of his pocket pistols out of his boot and offering it to Alastor, leaning closer to his ear so he could hear him over the noise.  
"I know ya don't need it, but hey, might be fun~"  
He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the crowd as he pulled a second gun out of his other boot.

Alastor looked to Angel with narrowed eyes slightly as the gun was handed to him, however he took it nonetheless, microphone disappearing as he spun the gun around his fingers for a moment.  
"Yes... it might be fun indeed."  
Pacing around the room a little, getting a good angle, Alastor raised and cocked the gun. Despite the fact he rarely used firearms, Alastor was still a decent shot from all those years of hunting, even if he wasn’t familiar with smaller guns like these. 

"Let's see if we can get some real damage done here, my dear."  
He smirked, taking aim and firing, the bullet being shot with a loud bang followed by a shout of pain as a demon in the middle of the brawl fell to their knees, clutching their shoulder. 

"Hm, it seems I missed."  
Alastor tutted with a shake of his head, meaning to aim for something more fatal. 

Angel rolled his eyes and moved over to Alastor.  
"How didja miss that shot? You were a hunter, weren't ya? God damn!"

Angel shifted to stand behind Alastor, putting his hand over Alastor's that held the gun. He didn't mean for this to be at all sexual or overly intimate but to someone else it might have looked that way. He just knew what he was doing and wanted to help Alastor with it. He knew he shot a rifle but this obviously wasn't one of those kinds of guns. Helping Alastor, he cocked the gun, looking over the others shoulder as he gave instruction. 

"This ain't a rifle, babe. Keep your arm slightly bent and flexible. As for your aim? Keep it just above where you want to hit, stay steady an’ take a breath if ya need to then take the shot." 

It seemed the Radio Demon was rusty with his old shot, but it didn't bother him too much. As Angel moved behind him with the intention only to assist, the Radio Demon allowed it, letting Angel's hand wrap around his own, elevating his aim. 

It was funny how the spider was offering him a quick tutorial in shooting a hand gun while they were in the middle of a bar fight, the violence not showing any signs of stopping any time soon. Very amusing indeed. 

"Thank you my dear, I think I've got it."  
Alastor cut in, relaxing his arm, keeping it bent just slightly as Angel had told him. Aiming for an immodestly dressed demon who was kicking another's head in on the floor, Alastor took the shot, the bullet shooting through the demon's nape, sending her falling to the floor. 

Immediately Alastor erupted with cheer.  
"Ah, excellent advice Angel! Why, that was the perfect shot, was it not?" 

Angel grinned wickedly and clapped, nodding.  
"Very good shot!!"  
However, that smile quickly fell when a demon grabbed Angel from behind, wrapping their arms around his torso between his two sets of arms.

"HEY!!"  
The spider growled, reaching behind him and grabbing the demon by the shirt before he swiftly bent forward, pulling the demon up and over him. He slammed them down to the ground and put a bullet between their eyes.  
Alastor was about to take another shot at a demon when he heard Angel shout. Slowly turning his attention towards the spider, Alastor watched on, unbothered, as the arachnid easily threw the other demon to the ground, rightfully burying a bullet between his eyes.

"Ya don't grab a lady like that, asshole!”  
He sighed and kicked the now dead demon with the tip of his boot, fixing his coat as he cocked his gun to put a new bullet in the chamber. He looked up at Alastor with a huff and smiled warmly again as if nothing had happened.

"Yes, terribly rude. Ever hear of being a gentleman?"  
Alastor laughed as he looked down at the body, shaking his head in disapproval. 

"Now, are you ready to move on, or would you like to see this play out a little longer?"  
Alastor piped up, gaze leaving Angel as he swiftly dodged the sharp leg of a table being thrown in his direction. 

Angel looked around a bit and shrugged, seemingly unphased by the table leg that flew past, consequently hitting the wall, getting stuck there.  
"I'm open to whatever you wanna do."

He really wouldn't mind either way what Alastor chose to do. He wasn't used to having a choice in anything so he always went along with whatever he was told to do. Whenever he was given an option, there was always a right and wrong answer to it or it was rhetorical. 

"Hm, if I remember correctly then I do believe we were out to get that ugly pig of yours some food."  
Alastor thought out loud, stepping over a body casually as he started to push his way to the entrance of the club. They were obviously leaving, and Alastor had to figure out where to get the pig something edible from. Then again, they'd earlier concluded that pigs did in face, eat anything.  
"Any ideas, my dear?" 

"Oh shit, that's right!"  
Angel exclaimed, clearly having forgotten all about his new pet. He quickly followed behind Alastor, hopping over bodies as they made their way back to the stairs.  
He felt pretty stupid for having forgotten about Fat Nuggets, not to mention pretty bad.  
"I guess apples or something? I don't know. Obviously, they'll eat anything so guess anything will do?"

After pushing through the argumentative crowd, they made it to the stairs and began to walk up, the music and the fighting getting quieter once they reached the top and were back out on the filthy and darkened streets of Hell.

"Apples..."  
Alastor almost sneered, eyes rolling as he got reminded of a certain demon who was heavily associated with the fruit. It wasn't Angel's fault he brought it up, it was just an unfortunate coincidence that Alastor had picked up on.


	12. A Gross-ers Apples

Luckily for them, Alastor knew somewhere they could go.  
"There is a grocery near here. The products aren't always fresh, mind you, however I am acquainted with the dear who owns it."  
Alastor decided to let Angel know, summoning his microphone once more and swiftly pointing it in the direction he meant. 

Angel gave a small nod, noticing the displeasure the mere mention of apples brought Alastor. How weird.  
"Something wrong with 'em?" He began, quickly realising he should make himself more clear. "Apples, I mean."  
Angel was obviously not aware of anything to do with literally anyone he probably should have. And well, he would argue that it wasn't entirely his fault. 

Once Alastor pointed in the direction they'd be going, Angel started walking, keeping his eyes on Alastor to make sure he was going to come along as well. 

Alastor looked over at Angel with a sort of 'are you serious?' expression, simply rolling his eyes as he started walking behind Angel for a moment before catching up to walk beside him.  
"My dear, you have clearly been living under rock during your time here."  
Come to think of it, was there even a demon who didn't know of Lucifer's association and obsession in design, with apples? Apparently yes. Because Alastor was talking to one right now.  
"Worry not. Let us just press on."

Angel puffed his chest out and straightened his back, furrowing his brows.  
"Well excuse me for not having any fuckin' freedom to learn about shit since I got here. 'The rock' you're referring to is named Anthony Grimaldi- oh _and_ Valentino. Thanks for the reminder of how sad and pathetic my fuckin' afterlife has been so far, ya goddamn Rudolf reindeer lookin' asshole!"  
He huffed, getting a little worked up as he let Alastor take the lead while he crossed both sets of his arms over his torso in irritation.  
Angel however managed to keep a strong posture and a bit of a pissed expression etched into his features. He didn't regret a single word that left his mouth.

Alastor stayed silent as he let Angel have his outburst, the Radio Demon listening, but not paying it very much mind as he carried on walking, swinging his microphone a bit.  
"Okay!"  
He laughed in response once it seemed that Angel had finished.  
Alastor had to admit, he wasn't too familiar with this 'Rudolf guy', but judging by Angel's tone and the profanities that came with it, he could only assume it was an insult of some sort. How lovely. 

"I'd say we're almost there, if I remember correctly, then the store is just up ahead!" 

Throwing good posture out the window, Angel slumped forward slightly, keeping his arms crossed as he let his gaze fall to the ground and to the side slightly. He didn't bother saying anything back seeing as there wasn't anything relevant he could say. Only slightly defeated, Angel made sure to say a pace or two just behind Alastor and to his left. 

He was starting to hate how condescending Alastor was. But at the same time, he was also a bit grateful. Why you ask? If that had been Valentino who he'd just snapped at, he would have definitely had his ass handed to him twice over already.  
This freedom was kind of nice though. Angel would be lying if he said his tongue didn't now have tremendous scars from the amount of literal biting he had to do to keep himself from blurting the wrong things out. 

Alastor found himself humming a dull tune as he walked, eyes looking around the streets they passed and walked through.  
Angel was waking a bit behind him and from his peripheral vision, Alastor could just about see that the spider looked a little defeated, slumped over with his arms crossed. 

Soon enough, Alastor stopped quickly in his tracks, turning to face a building to the left of them. The windows were awfully dirty and the store sign that could just be made out was flashing slightly, half the words lighting up every few flickers.  
"Here we are! If you need apples for a pig such as yours, then this place will surely do them! After you, my dear."  
Alastor grinned, eyebrow raised as he opened up the stiff door for Angel. 

Angel nearly walked into Alastor when he suddenly stopped, his back straightening again as he halted just before running into him, quickly taking a step back. His arms seemed to relax a bit as his attention went to Alastor and up to the rundown looking building. He gave a small nod and headed inside, his eyes staying downcast again as he muttered a small 'thanks'. 

The small ringing of a bell sounded as they entered the store, the lights dim and flickering.  
There were foods of all sorts hanging, some that the freshness looked rather questionable, and others the sort of thing you would only ever find in Hell.

Looking around, Alastor strode over to the front counter, presuming Angel was behind him.  
Folding his arms on the wooden counter, the deer hit the bell that was on top of it without hesitation, another ring sounding out as he waited for a demon to come out of the back. 

Angel raised his brows and simply followed close behind Alastor. He remembered Alastor saying something about being able to get the fresher stuff but he wasn't sure that was necessary. He knew pigs would eat just about anything so he took a quick look around while staying close to the deer, taking note of everything available. 

Alastor waited a couple moments before pressing the bell again, leaning over the counter a little to try and get a look in the open door that was just behind it.  
"Oh Winnie dear, are you there?"  
He called out musically, nails tapping against the wooden counter in anticipation. 

There was a loud crash that sounded out from behind the door, a long string of profanities following before a beetle like female demon came strutting out, wearing a rather annoyed expression.

Angel jolted a bit at the crashing sounds from the back room, raising a brow as he tried to hold back a chuckle at the curses. It was kind of amusing to him.

"What the fuck do yo-" her demeanor immediately changed upon seeing who the customer was.  
"Alastor darlin'! How are you?!"  
She exclaimed loudly; her arms outstretched as she came towards Alastor.

The arachnid stayed a few paces behind Alastor, watching as the demon came out. They were obviously acquainted given her quick change in attitude and the greeting she gave. She was definitely an interesting looking demon to say the least. 

As the beetle moved to hug Alastor with her numerous arms, much like Angels, Alastor swiftly moved out of her way, grin widening as he watched her eyes roll. 

"Aw, Al. You never change, huh?"  
Winnie laughed with a shake of her head, gaze slowly moving to Angel who was stood not too far from the Radio Demon.  
There was a brief pause on her part, her lips pursing together as she looked from the spider to Alastor, and then back again to Angel.  
"Paha, the porn star? Al, you fuckin' serious? Why, I never took you for a pimp."  
She laughed with a toothy grin shaking her head. 

"What, you gonna lure poor demons in with this guy's charm and then fuck them up with your voodoo crap? Sounds dangerous." 

Of course, the beetle was far off. As per usual.  
"I do believe my business with dear Angel here, is none of your concern."  
Alastor quickly butted in with a tut.  
"But we came here for a reason, Winnie, as I'm sure you guessed. Some apples for a greedy pig." 

Angel folded his lower set of arms over his stomach and stepped closer to Alastor, putting his upper set of hands on the deer's shoulder with a grin, one hand trailing up to Alastor's cheek. 

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea though, ya gotta admit~"  
Angel teasingly lowered the volume in his voice and added a seductive tone to it, eyes lidding. He pulled away quickly before Alastor had time to send him into the void and stepped closer to the one called Winnie. And Alastor simply did as he always did whenever Angel got like this. For a quick moment he was frozen, static abruptly stopping as he felt one of the spider's hands trailing up his cheek.  
"Haha, I think not!"  
He cleared his throat, quickly taking a large, dramatic step away.

"Names Angel, pleasure to meetcha. You got some good business ideas, sweetie."  
He extended one of his hands to her.

Winnie simply laughed, enjoying the mild source of entertainment as she shook one of Angels hands with one of her own.  
"Why, if I was just a passerby and I saw that, I'd think you two were a comedic duo!"  
She almost cackled, leaning back against the counter and crossing her arms. 

"Oh, but the pleasure is all mine, and of course I do. Been running this joint for near thirty years all on my own. Great ideas come from the greatest of demons, ain't that right, Al."  
Pushing herself off the counter now, she made her way around to the back.  
"I'll get your filthy apples."

Angel kept a small smile and leaned on the counter, watching her go back before looking at Alastor with a raised brow.  
"Seems nice. Sucks ya wouldn't even hug 'er though. Ya big meanie."  
He adjusted his position a bit, tilting his head.  
"What's the deal with that anyway? You don't like bein' touched unless it's on your own terms. Like some sorta moody cat or somethin'?"

Alastor waited for his friend to return, arms crossed over his chest as he eyed Angel, rolling his eyes at the predictable comment.  
He thought he'd be explain, seeing as Angel hadn't seemed to figure it out yet.  
"Touch uninitiated by myself is unnerving. Simply makes me uncomfortable."  
And he left it at that, hoping he'd answered Angel's question to his satisfaction.

Soon enough, Winnie returned, tossing a bag of apples on the counter.  
"Take em'. No payment necessary."  
Unlike a large portion of the food in the store, the apples looked as if they had practically been picked that morning from a tree. They glistened red and green in the light. Alastor was almost tempted to eat one himself. Almost. 

"Thank you indeed, Winnifred, it is greatly appreciated as always." 

Angel was about to pry a bit more into the subject but was interrupted by Winnie. He straightened himself out and grabbed the bag of apples, taking a short moment to appreciate the perfection of them. 

"Thanks, babe! See ya again soon, yeah?"  
He gave a salute in thanks, turning back towards Alastor before he walked past him, out to the dirty crowded streets of the city once again.

"Oh, absolutely darlin'!"  
She called happily, watching as the duo left the store. 

Waving one last goodbye to his old friend, Alastor took his leave too, Angel walking past him as they found themselves back out on the streets of Hell.  
"What a successful evening!"  
The radio demon grinned, eyeing the bag of apples Angel now held in one of his hands.  
"I'm sure that fat pig of yours will enjoy these greatly. Let's hope he's not starving to death already, haha!" 

Angel shrugged, stopping to wait for Alastor to take the lead again before walking behind him a few paces and to his left.  
"It was fun, that's for sure!"  
He smiled, glancing down at the bag of apples, remembering that he still wasn't entirely sure why Alastor had seemed so bothered over the mention earlier.  
"So, ya gunna tell me what ya don't like about apples?"  
He figured he'd ask about it, assuming it would be a good story, if there even was a story behind it that was. 

Alastor began walking in the direction of his home, figuring the two of them had been long enough out to call it a day. He couldn't help but visibly sigh at the question, almost laughing at how incompetent Angel was in that moment. 

"It's not a long, exciting story, my dear. Everyone around here knows it. But since you are the exception..."  
He began, trailing off a little, his hands resting behind his back as he walked. Angel rolling his eyes at the comment.  
"Apples, as a symbol, are quite often associated with sin, immortality and above all else, temptation. In the story of creation, the snake supposedly used an apple as temptation for Adam and Eve."  
He started in boredom as if he'd told this a million times over.  
"Lucifer, and I trust you at least know who that is all things considered, has quite the... eye for apples. His 'humble' abode is decorated in them, the apples being a sort of family crest I suppose. Lucifer is and therefore apples are simply annoyances to me." 

As they walked and Alastor spoke, the spider gave a small nod.  
"Gotcha." He paused, figuring he could explain why he didn't know any of this, when 'most demons' did.  
"See, I was swooped up maybe an hour, give or take, after gettin' here. I wasn't taught anything besides how shit runs in the streets. I wasn't given history lessons or anything like that so this is the first time I'm hearin' about any of this stuff."  
He figured he'd remind Alastor of that seeing as he obviously thought he was the biggest idiot in Hell right now. It wasn't that he was stupid, he could actually learn pretty quick. He just wasn't exposed to politics or history, plus, the interest wasn't really there either. 

Alastor just nodded, a little surprised in how quickly Angel was nabbed. Then again, that was quite common around here. Some demons even waited around simply to see if any fresh falling or recent meat they could grab was about. 

"Well, if you need to know anything, simply ask. I may have the answer."  
The deer nodded, static rolling over his words as per usual.  
"Now, my home isn't too far. The area is getting familiar if I do say so myself."

Angel gave another small nod, taking a quick look around to memorize the area and make mental note in case he ever got lost.  
"I appreciate that and I'll definitely take you up on that offer."  
He stated softly. He didn't have anything to ask just yet. His mind was preoccupied with how their plan was going to play out and all he'd have to do to prepare himself for it.

It took the two of them around twenty minutes or so before they were walking up to the front of Alastor's house, dark wooden door swinging open as the Radio Demon approached.  
"Home sweet home!" He chuckled, the door closing loudly behind Angel once he was in. 

Alastor's eyes narrowed a little as the quick tap of trotters could be heard faintly from upstairs before seeing the sight of a pig running down the stairs. 

"Seems like it is glad to see you."  
He hummed, stepping to the side as Fat Nuggets charged towards its owner. 

Angel raised his brows and smiled, kneeling and opening his arms wide, hugging the pig as soon as it jumped into his arms.  
"Hey Fat Nug Nugs!! How'd you get out? I thought I closed the door, you smart baby."  
He didn't seem worried about it as he stood up again, holding the pig in his upper set of arms while one of the lower grabbed a shiny apple from the bag and held it in front of the pig's face.

"Look what Daddy got ya~"  
The pig didn't hesitate in immediately scarfing the fruit down with a satisfied snort, Angel responding with a small laugh as he brought the bag to the kitchen.

Swiftly removing his outer suit jacket, Alastor threw it over a shoulder, the material disappearing in an instant. He decided to leave Angel with his pig while he got some sort of caffeine in his system. A coffee would do. 

"Can I interest you in a coffee perhaps?"  
Alastor called as he walked the house and into the kitchen, starting to pull out the coffee and a mug. 

Snapping his fingers, the cold water in the kettle began to boil. For the next few hours or so, Alastor had some 'light' reading he needed to do. 

"Coffee sounds great, Al."  
Angel smiled a bit, setting the apples on the counter after following Alastor into the kitchen. He looked over at Alastor and noticed something he hadn't before now that his jacket was off. Alastor had a little fluffy tail, like that of a deer.  
"Have you always had that?"  
He asked with a raised brow, gesturing to the fluffy tuft.

Humming to himself, Alastor pulled out another mug for Angel as he waited for the water to boil. "Have I always had what?"  
The Radio Demon asked, glancing over his shoulder, eyes rolling as he noticed what Angel was talking about.  
"Yes- I have."  
He dismissively added. It wasn't necessarily something that he liked having, but hey, that was just the curse of being a demon. You couldn't pick what monstrous form you became. 

Angel smirked and tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly.  
"Kinda cute in my opinion~"

Turning around, back and tail to the kitchen counter, Alastor's eyes only twitched all the more at Angel's comment. He found himself doing that quite a lot as of late.  
"Dare even think about touching it and you will spend the rest of your days surrounded by nothing but darkness."

Angel bent down and set the pig down on the floor, who then flopped onto its side, landing directly onto his feet. He stood upright again, still glancing down at the cute little pig.  
"Excuse me, sir, but I'd like to move around."  
Angel chuckled, trying to shuffle his feet out from under the pig. However, the animal wasn't having it and quickly moved back to lay on his feet.

Eyes quickly darting down to Fat Nuggets, Alastor's grin only grew.  
"The pig too." He added, carrying on from his last threat to Angel and now, Fat Nuggets as well.  
And with that, he turned back around, grabbing the boiled water and beginning to make the coffee for the two of them. 

Angel rolled his eyes a bit and looked down at Fat Nuggets again.  
"He's just cranky because he hasn't had his afternoon nap."  
He stated to the pig with a wink, who snorted in reply. Angel bent down again and picked the pig up, holding it out in front of him.

"You're just a floppy fat bitch, huh? Fuckin' squishy baby."  
Angel squished the pigs face and laughed a bit.

Alastor could only chuckle at that as he finished up making the coffees, bringing them over to the table beside Angel.  
"It amazes me how one can be so fond of a piece of meat. Honestly."  
He added, taking a seat, crossing one leg over the other before sipping at the hot drink. 

Angel sat down across from Alastor and sat the pig in his lap.  
"You gotta admit, he's pretty cute."

Shaking his head, Alastor sighed.  
"After this I shall be retiring to my room. Not for an 'afternoon nap' no no, just some light reading. Please do not disturb me."  
Alastor stated.

The spider took a small sip of the coffee and set the cup down again, sticking his tongue out a bit.  
"You got it boss. I'll be doin' my own stuff."  
The pig started sniffing at the cup, which Angel pushed the mug further away.  
"No no, you don't need that. I don't think Uncle Al would like having hoof marks all over the walls and ceiling."  
He patted the pigs head.

Alastor shook his head again, eyes closing for a brief moment.  
"Refrain from referring to me as that."  
He simply spoke, raising an eyebrow at the affection Angel was showing towards the pig. He would admit, it was rather odd. 

Taking another sip, Alastor couldn't help but let his gaze linger over the spider and the pig, brows raised in curiosity.  
"Your attachment to it is concerning, my dear. After all, it is only a mere animal." 

"You never had a dog or a cat? It's the same kinda thing. I like fish better but ya can't cuddle those."  
Angel shrugged, hugging the pig as it stared across the table at Alastor blankly. Fat Nuggets was probably the closest thing to a pet Angel ever been able to have since he was alive. It was still a mystery as to what Valentino expected him to do with it.

Alastor only laughed, shaking his head, huffing at the mention of one of those animals.  
"No, I did not. I couldn't see a cat nor dog lasting very long in my home, not when I was alive and certainly not now. Any sort of animal for that matter."  
He smiled, making eye contact with Fat Nuggets, his head snapping to the side a moment.  
"Consider yourself very lucky, pig."

And yes, even to Alastor, it was still something of a mystery as to why Valentino would bring Angel such a thing. The only thing he could think of right now, was the hope that he'd win him back. And that definitely hadn't worked at all. 

The pig just gave a small snort in reply before turning its attention up to Angel, who was taking a sip of coffee. He set the cup down again.  
"So, um... about Lucifer. Does he have any powers I should be aware of? Like... mind reading or somethin'? I just wanna be prepared."  
He ran his finger along the rim of the mug, looking over at the deer as he attempted to make conversation again. After all, Alastor seemed knowledgable in this area. 

Alastor sipped at his drink once more, lips pursing for a brief moment.  
"No mind reading."  
He spoke up, thinking for a quick moment. Lucifer may have been the most omnipotent down here by far, but there were ways around containing his abundance of power. 

"You are in no imminent danger unless things do not go to plan. I will utilize your venomous 'bite' so that he will be unable to leave the room we corner him in, therefore not being able to retrieve the one weapon that would indefinitely erase us both."  
He spoke as if it was nothing. 

Of course, Alastor was putting things lightly here. If somehow Lucifer was able to escape, then things would absolutely be over for the both of them. Never mind burning in Hell, they'd be reduced to nothingness in an instant by the clown, subjected to an eternity of darkness. 

And judging by the atmosphere that could be cut with a butter knife, it seemed as if Alastor had spoken that last part out loud, brain too busy with thinking through all the possibilities and oh, the entertainment, that this whole thing could give. 

Angel took in all of the information he could. He went silent for a moment before giving a nod.  
"Hoboy this is gunna be intense..."  
He muttered, his eyes moving down to look at the table as he gave his pig a squeeze for comfort.

Angel was starting to wonder if he'd actually be able to pull it off. One minor slip up from either of them- even though the chances of Alastor messing anything up were slim to none- and their whole plan could very easily go to triple, if not quadruple Hell. 

They had a month to get everything just right. That wasn't a lot of time at all. 

"Now... because this guy is all powerful 'n shit, are you sure my bite is gunna be enough? I mean, I'll use a lethal amount if that means he's down for the count. Is he even effected by drugs?" 

Alastor continued to hum in thought, nails tapping against the table.  
"However long the poison in your bite usually lasts, let's just say it won't last very long on ol' Lucy. So, our time to strike is short. But yes, he does get affected by drugs to some extent."  
Alastor told Angel, taking the last sip of his coffee, placing the still warm mug down. 

Alastor wasn't too worried about himself, he knew what to do when the time was right. The only thing he was mildly concerned about, was Angel. He hoped that the spider demon had what it took to do this. 

Angel nodded and finished his own coffee. He reached over the table and grabbed Alastor's mug and his own, bringing them to the sink.  
"If ya want we can find some bitch on the street and test my bite on 'em? Been a while since I used it so maybe a tester shot might not be a bad idea."  
He shrugged, throwing the idea out there as he washed their mugs out, Fat Nuggets still in his lower set of arms.

Alastor considered for a moment, silently thanking Angel for taking his mug over to the sink.  
"Well, tomorrow I plan to pay a certain demon a visit...perhaps you can test that out then."  
Alastor concluded, thinking that Angels idea was actually a good one.

"And if we cannot find a demon 'willing'? Well I'd say we have the perfect candidate down right in your arms!" 

Angel gave a small laugh, putting the now clean mugs in the drying rack.  
"I had something I wanted to do tomorrow so I can easily squeeze that in there somehow~"  
He shut the water off and turned back to Alastor.

So, it was settled, they'd try out Angels bite tomorrow, which was convenient. And if it wasn't strong enough? Well, at least that gave them time to come up with some other methods.

"Anyways, you had some shit ya wanted to get to so you go ahead and do that. I won't bother ya."  
He headed out of the kitchen, dragging his finger across Alastor's shoulders as he passed by with a soft hum and started up the stairs.

"Very well, I shall head upstairs then."  
He nodded, about to stand when he felt Angel's finger slowly dragging across his shoulders. 

Ignoring it, the Radio Demon stood, following behind Angel who carried the pig with him. 

Angel hummed one of the tunes from the club they were at earlier as he climbed the stairs and walked to his bedroom. He was actually feeling pretty tired so he might end up sleeping that night.

Alastor too was quite tired, however he had to read some things before he did sleep- if he did sleep.

"See ya tomorrow, hot stuff~"  
Angel hummed before closing his door quickly so Alastor wouldn't have time to say anything about it and walked over to his bed.

Alastor was about to respond to Angels nickname for him, however the sound of his door quickly told him that there wasn't much point in doing so.  
With Angel in his room, Alastor entered his own, the dim lights immediately turning on upon his entrance. 

"Now...where is that book..."


	13. Knock Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone! Hope 2020 is a good one for you all :)

Angel sat down on his bed and sighed, putting the pig down next to him. He let out a heavy breath before getting up again and grabbing the suitcase full of money from the closet he kept his belongings in. From there, he started counting what he had. The spider wanted to see if he could get a custom suit made especially for Lucifers event. He just wanted to look the part- whatever part it was that Alastor was able to come up for him.  
His fingers speedily flicked through the notes as he counted up in his mind. 

Mind wandering a bit, Angel soon decided that while he was out testing his bite, he'd be easily able to find some company to bring back with him while he waited for Alastor's return. It would serve as a quick cash grab too, which was always good. 

It didn't take the Radio Demon long to fish out the old book he needed to read. With a sigh, Alastor took a seat in the large leather armchair situated the corner of his room, adjusting the monocle over one of his eyes so that he could read the words better.

This book was a little harder to read than any others Alastor had. The words were hand written in slightly faded ink, and as far as Alastor knew, this was the original and only copy of the book to be written. It had been years since Alastor had actually read through this one though. But why?

As he read on, recognizable spells, incantations and satanic practices were quickly skimmed over, until the last page. The one page he knew would be absolutely vital in seeing to the downfall of Lucifer. The whole book had failed to mention it, and there was no doubt about this book being the right one. But the page? It was gone.

Alastor frowned deeply. His lips contorted to a small thin line, something that was a very rare occurrence. Then again, no one was around to see it or consider it a weakness.  
Turning the book over in his hand, running a finger down the spine of the cover, Alastor shook his head.  
Suddenly standing, the Radio Demon began to pace once again, his shoes tapping against the wood with every step.

Soon enough though, that malignant grin was slowly creeping back up his face, an idea- or a memory, coming to mind. If the page of the book didn't exist down here in Hell, then there was one other cesspit of an Earth he knew for sure it would be...

But he had to think, and so, closing his eyes a moment, Alastor did just that. He heard the faint sound of footsteps making their way down the stairs and then up again, but he chose to ignore them in favor of thinking. It was most likely Angel doing whatever he did. 

It had been years since Alastor had actually needed to go back to the living world. In fact, he'd only been back once, right after he'd manifested to gather all the books and items of importance to him, and bring them back to this very safe room.

He thought he'd taken everything important- but obviously he'd missed something.

Nonetheless, if he was going to go, he needed time to plan for that as well. Yet another obstruction to his plans. It would have to wait a couple weeks.

***

While Angel was counting his savings, Fat Nuggets had tried to eat the paper bills multiple times, causing Angel to get increasingly more annoyed with the animal. 

"Would ya stop that? This shit is kind of important."  
He huffed, pushing the pig away. It didn't seem to make a difference though, so Angel picked the pig up and left his room, going down to get a few apples for the greedy beast who then began chewing the sleeve of the sweater he'd changed into.

"I swear to fuck if you weren't so damn cute, I'd let Alastor cook ya up..." He grumbled, making his way down the stairs. Once in the kitchen, Angel quickly grabbed three apples before heading back up to his room, quickly shoving one of them into the pig's mouth to get it to stop chewing on his sleeve as he walked. 

As the spider came back up the stairs, the telltale sound of Alastor pacing up in his room, could be heard. For a brief moment Angel pauses, thinking about maybe going to check in on him and offer him some coffee, but then ultimately remembered the request of not being disturbed.  
Pausing to look at Alastor's door for a few moments longer, Angel just shook his head before moving back into his own room with a shrug.

"C'mon, fat bitch. I think it's about time for bed."  
Cooing at the pig, Angel closed his bedroom door gently and put the pig in the basket it was delivered in, along with the apples before returning back to his counting.  
Even after all that, he had to restart due to an annoyingly forgetful mind.  
With Fat Nuggets preoccupied though, it was easier and didn't take nearly as long. One finished, Angel scribbled down the total and shoved all the bills back into the case which then made its home back in the closet.

Alastor on the other hand, was getting slightly antsy. "Right..." The deer muttered to himself, walking over to his door and swinging it open. He needed a drink. 

Angel could hear Alastor's steps in the hallway now as he closed the closet door. While he curiously did want to see what the Radio Demon was up to, he also didn't want to be seen as a bother. Angel didn't know what Alastor would say, let alone the most likely vague and disinterested response he'd be halfheartedly given in return. 

Deciding not to, his mismatched eyes found themselves rolling before he changed into his evening wear and crawled into bed.  
Thoughts running wild for a couple of moments as he simply stared at the wall, something that Alastor had said regarding Lucifer suddenly came back to him. And that made Angel curious. 

One thing he did want to know more about, definitely, was Alastor's previous relationship with Lucifer.  
A friendship, or perhaps a feud, absolutely existed somewhere there, and Angel was intrigued. They weren't just acquaintances- that was for sure. 

Knowing Alastor though, Angel knew it was too soon to be prying that deep into the demons personal life, so it would just have to be something he'd keep in the back of his mind and make theories about for now...

Alastor, as he stood out in the hallway was close to knocking upon Angels door, but for what? The spider was probably asleep or didn't want to be disturbed, so Alastor quickly thought better of it. He languidly stepped away in favour of moving slowly down the stairs instead. 

It seemed that the Radio Demons mind was racing too as he made his way into the lounge.  
Alastor quickly sat down with a long sigh, waving his hand over a small table to the side. A patterned glass that had been empty before, began to fill up with some sort of alcohol. 

Just the thought of needing to go up to the living world, that was a lot in itself. Of course, demons down here weren't supposed to, let alone were allowed to, but there were always loopholes. And then Angel? Would it be too risky taking the spider? Perhaps, then again, it could also be a very good idea.

Angel laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling in the now dark room. He hated not being able to sleep and especially as of late, it seemed to be a reoccurring issue. He'd feel tired and ready to sleep, but the minute he got into bed, his exhaustion was cruelly ripped from him, no sign of it ever having been there in the first place.  
Then again, this was Hell after all. Nothing was ever really supposed to go your way down here. 

With two of his upper hands, Angel rubbed at his face and sighed before sitting up and putting his boots back on. He hadn't heard Alastor come back up the stairs so he must have still been on the main floor.  
After throwing on a robe over his cozy pyjamas  
Angel opened his door only to make out a bit of light coming from what seemed to be downstairs. A good sign.  
Angel made his way down as quietly as his boots and the floorboards would let him, turning into the lounge. 

Alastor had been quietly listening to the radio- well, his own radio. As he sipped at his drink, eyes closed, the static hum paired with the old radio talking was quite calming.  
Soon enough, Alastor heard footsteps. No doubt Angel was still awake.

Opening his eyes, Alastor looked to the entrance of the lounge, and sure enough, it was Angel. Who else would it have been? Certainly not the pig. 

"I suppose you couldn't sleep."  
Alastor began, noticing that the spider looked quite exhausted and was in his robe. 

Angel gave a small nod, approaching when he saw that Alastor was, in fact, there. He sat in one of the chairs opposite him and sighed softly.  
"Come up with anything new?"  
The spider asked, leaning back in the chair as he put one leg over the other, both sets of hands folding in his lap. He presumed that was what Alastor had been thinking about after all- their plans. 

Turning down his radio a little so that he could speak, Alastor hummed indecisively for a moment.  
Should he tell Angel or not? That was really the debate here. If he told him, there was no doubt that the spider would jump at the opportunity at seeing the living world again- as most demons would. But was taking Angel with him untimely a good idea? 

In those short seconds that Alastor had to come up with a decision before giving Angel an answer, he somehow managed to do just that. If anything did go wrong, Angel would be good 'back up' per see. Not to mention, searching for something with two people was quicker than with one. 

"Yes, I did."  
Alastor began, raising a brow as he made sure the other was listening to him. He'd only say this once.  
"There's a page of a book I thought I had, and the contents of that page are vital in achieving the end goal of Lucifer's demise."  
Taking a quick sip of his drink, the deer's attention was quickly back on Angel.

"The only place it can be is the living world. Therefore, I need to go there to retrieve this page before we can press on to the event in four weeks." It was blunt, and for such a big thing to say, Alastor seemed awfully calm about it. 

As he heard Alastor talk on, Angel couldn't help but stifle a small scoff after hearing that part about the living world.  
"I-I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you right. You said you needed to _go back?_ "  
His brows raised in disbelief.

Alastor couldn't help but let his eyes roll at Angels predicable disbelief.  
"Yes, my dear, you heard me perfectly well."  
He glanced over to his glass of liquid.

"How are you gunna be able to pull _that_ off!? You got a spell in one of those books up there or somethin'?"  
Angel, in all his shock, obviously didn't think his words through, having just given away the fact he'd seen inside of Alastor's room, but mindlessly continued anyways.  
"If you're actually going back, would I maybe have the honor of joining you? I mean... I'd love to see it again. And! As your partner in crime I could be of use!"

Alastor's eyes narrowed briefly as he caught Angels slip up.  
" _Oh?_ "  
Turning back to the other, Alastor just shook his head.  
"I _do_ hope I heard you wrong. Because 'those books up there' are none of your concern."  
Was he perhaps letting the arachnid off with a warning? Yes. The Radio Demon was taking slight mercy on Angel due to the fact that his mind was elsewhere at the moment. Angel was extremely lucky to say the least. 

Angel sunk into his chair a bit when he realized his mistake. He was ready for Alastor to keep his promise in decapitating him but when he continued, his fear wasn't nearly as bad. It seemed he was let off the hook for now, which he was grateful for.

"Angel, I told you this because I plan to take you with me. Consider yourself lucky, my good fellow, that I even told you at all."

When Alastor continued, Angel was barely able to let him finish. His eyes widened as Alastor revealed his plans involving taking him along and immediately, a wide toothy smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. He sat right up and leaned forward in his chair. 

"Holy shit! You really- I... holy shit!!"  
He clearly had no idea what the hell to say, grabbing a handful of his own hair and pulled lightly to make sure he wasn't dreaming.  
"We're gunna- ...we- ..I- thank you!!"

Alastor flinched a little at the sudden outburst of joy from Angel. Yes, clearly he was ecstatic at the concept of returning to the living world after so long of this literal Hell.  
"Do not thank me, Angel. We shan't be there long. In fact, we can't stay long there at all."

A day at most since really, they weren't supposed to be there in the first place. 

Reaching across to his glass, Alastor quickly downed the rest of it, resisting the urge to scrunch up his nose from the slight burn it created down his throat.  
"Of course, we shall have to plan for that as well. Only more work, so I don't see why you are so excited. But I will say this, we won't exactly blend in looking as we are."

Even with all of the planning required to go back, Angel was still really looking forward to it beyond what words could explain.  
"Okay okay okay. Okay. No, you're right, we won't. Though I assume you've got a plan for that? Are we just gunna have to stay in alleys and stuff? Last I remember humans ain't on average 8 feet tall."  
He started to calm down a bit, but not much, as was visible. This was still exciting to him, being able to see how much things have changed.

Alastor did laugh at that one though. The thought of all the terror and chaos the two of them could cause if they burst into the living world as they were. Ah, now that _would_ be entertaining. But no, Alastor had a plan to take care of their demonic appearances for a short while. 

"Alleyways? No no no, that's _far_ too bothersome! Mundane!"  
He exclaimed, clapping his hands together.  
"We shall blend in with the humans by looking exactly as them! Why, I'm sure you miss having regular shaped feet, hm?"  
Shooting the other a sly grin, Alastor just continued to condescendingly laugh. 

Angel puffed his chest out and crossed his arms over his torso in slight offence, even though the Radio Demon definitely wasn't technically wrong at all.  
"Hey now, everything about me is fuckin' flawless! I got the fan letters to prove it upstairs, too. Unlike some assholes around here, I ain't naming any names, I don't look like a lanky used tampon!"  
Huffing out his insults, Angel shot Alastor a bit of a glare, lifting his chin slightly.  
After a moment of being a petty bitch, Angel looked back at Alastor again.  
"Anyways...how are we gunna blend in then? Are we gunna look the way we did or do we get to choose how we look? Like some of that possession shit some of them fancy bitches can do."

Alastor only rolled his eyes again, glaring back at the other as he shot out an insult.  
"Flawless, why of course."  
He spoke with sarcasm, quickly moving on before this could get any pettier.

"I don't know about you, but my past form was quite dashing if I do say so myself. So, I shall be returning to that."  
Alastor nodded, giving Angel a once over.  
"You may choose to look the way you did, or different. It's your choice." 

"I'm perfect now and I was perfect then. I'll go with how I was."  
Angel stated, choosing to ignore the sarcasm.  
"Keep in mind we ain't there to be fuckin' those poor bitches, so it ain't gunna matter if you were good looking or not. Get your head outta your ass."  
He leaned back in his chair again, running his fingers through his hair.

Alastor forced a laugh once more, crossing a leg over his other as he leaned back in his armchair as well.  
"Why, I would never even dream of that, my dear. You on the other hand? Best be careful around those humans."

There wasn't much to plan really, other than where exactly they were going to be searching for the item of interest. Then again, Alastor already had a good idea as to where it was. A place of many past mementos for him, and he hoped that if the two of them were swift enough with their job, then they wouldn't have to stick around too long. 

"I can protect myself just fine, thank you! Humans can't do shit to me."  
Angel huffed again, another thought coming to his mind but he marked it as a pretty stupid question. He would see how it played out when it happened. He didn't want Alastor to have any more fuel in thinking he really was a fucking dumbass. 

Angel was just excited at merely the thought of having normal feet again, even if it only was for a short time. And depending on their location, Angel planned on walking everywhere without shoes on just because he could. Didn't matter if they were in Canada and there was 50 feet of snow on the ground. He was a demon. Sickness didn't exist for them. Stubbornness clearly did though. 

With a shrug, Alastor just grinned.  
"We will be traveling to where I used to live back in the good ol' days."  
Alastor thought he'd tell Angel now, so that he wouldn't have to waste time explaining it later on.  
"It shouldn't be a long trip, a couple hours at most, I hope. Any longer and I fear there will be... consequences."

Demons, if they somehow did make their way up to the living world, they usually didn't have long before a much higher power came down to 'sort out' the issue. 

"What consequences? Ya mean like the spell or potion or whatever will wear off? If that's the case just bring the book or whatever with ya and we'll have more time. Simple."  
Angel shrugged, adjusting himself in his seat a bit as well as his robe. His mind was also wandering a bit, trying to imagine what Alastor looked like as a human.

Huffing a laugh, Alastor shook his head.  
"No no no, I'd hardly call that a consequence worth worrying about. What I'm talking about is much more deadly!"  
As he looked at Angel, he too tried to imagine what the other would look like as a human. Although, not much was coming to mind other than...well, indecent words.

But back to Angels question, yes, Alastor knew of the consequences- as annoying as they were.  
"I'm talking about angels descending from the heavens themselves, wielding their weapons that could erase us in an instant! Those pompous nuisances hardly want filthy demons wandering where they're not welcome, haha!" 

Angel sat quietly for a moment, a look of mild confusion made its way to his face- an obvious expression that contained so many questions. He wasn't sure which question to ask first until a look of sudden realization replaced the confusion. 

"Oooohhhhhhhhhhh! What if humans with paranoia and shit are actually demons that managed to fly under the radar and are hearing and seeing shit because they're paranoid about being found?!"  
He'd obviously pulled that right from his ass without thinking about it first, not to mention how off topic it was. Clearly Angel was tired. As soon as it was said though, he immediately felt stupid for saying it out loud, and to Alastor no less. 

Alastor had to take a moment to process what Angel had just said, his smile actually fading off of his face.  
"Excuse me?"  
He questioned, confused expression and brows raised incase he hadn't heard that correctly.  
"Are you feeling alright?"  
Alastor jabbed a mocking laugh out, grin quickly returning. He honestly questioned Angels logic at times, but there was probably a reason behind that. Hopefully. 

Angel puffed his cheeks out and covered his face with his upper set of hands in embarrassment. After a minute he inhaled deeply and gave a small laugh, shaking his head.  
"Probably not. I'm sober, sleep deprived and touch starved. I think I'm the furthest thing from okay right now."  
He said in a jokingly serious tone.

Alastor watched curiously as Angel covered his face in embarrassment.  
"Well, I'm afraid I cannot help you with much with that."  
He shrugged, reaching over to the table by his side, Alastor made another glass of alcohol appear before he passed it over to the demon in front of him.  
"Either way, you should get your rest, my dear. I can't have my associate sleep deprived, now can I?" 

Angel looked at the glass and then to Alastor.  
"Wanna take a bat and crack it against my head? That might put me to sleep for a while." The spider shrugged a bit, throwing the suggestion out there with a scoff as he took the glass and gulped down a bit of the liquid. 

Summoning his microphone once Angel had taken the glass, Alastor gestured to it.  
"Be careful what you wish for, my dear. It may not be a bat, but I tend to take things people say relatively seriously and literally!"  
He grinned, neck snapping at an angle that almost looked like it hurt. 

Angel blinked a couple of time, finishing the drink quickly as he glanced at Alastor.  
"You thought I was kidding? I ain't had a wink of sleep since the night we met. You wanna take me upstairs and smack me or just do it here and leave me? I don't care either way."

Yes, it sounded sexual, but Angel was so serious he didn't even care. 

Slowly standing from his chair, Alastor gripped the microphone with both hands.  
"Well, suit yourself. Do not blame me if you wake up with a bruised head." 

Taking the now empty glass from Angel so that it would not smash to the ground, Alastor placed it onto the table before turning back to the other.  
The spider gladly handed Alastor the glass and adjusted his position so he wouldn't fall out of the chair. His comfort was the least of his concerns at this point.

Without a second doubt, Alastor swung the microphone back before slamming it hard into the side of Angels head with a dull thud. If it had been enough to knock Valentino down previously, then the blow would no doubt be a knock out on Angels part. 

The moment the microphone came into contact with the side of his head, Angel's eyes shut, body falling limp in the chair with a jolt from the force of the blow. Finally a deep rest embraced him without a fight. 

Grinning in satisfaction, the sadistic demon had to resist the urge to carry on, instead putting his microphone away and brushing his hands together in accomplishment. 

If it had been anyone else, Alastor would have just left them there, but Angel needed some good sleep if he was to be fit for helping Alastor out with his schemes. With a wave of his hand, Angels limp body raised into the air. It was quite late now, so Alastor decided to head up to bed as well.

As he walked up the stairs, Angel followed behind him. It didn't take the Radio Demon long to bring him into his room, eyeing the sleeping pig that was in the corner.

Angel was out, so much so it looked like he was dead. The only hint that he was still alive was that there wasn't any noticeable blood and his chest rose and fell as he kept a steady breathing pattern. He looked so peaceful and the silence must have been nice for Alastor. At least the both of them got something out of this.

It was a gesture that Alastor hoped Angel knew would never happen again, but nonetheless, Alastor lay the arachnid down on the bed, waving his hand once more as a pink fluffy blanket settled over him. And just like that, Alastor was gone- back in his own room like nothing had even happened.


	14. A Moments Playful Banter

Angel slept peacefully for the next while, waking up a short time after brighter light started to illuminate the outside a little more than what it did during the night. Groaning in exhaustion, he scrunched up his face, wincing a little at the pain he felt in the side of his head. 

It was as he realised that he was laying down instead of sitting upright in the chair he thought he'd been in, that Angels mismatched eyes shot open and he sat up, looking around the room frantically. 

Recognising the room he was in to be his own at Alastors house, Angel let out an immediate sigh of relief, thinking that it had all been a dream.  
For a moment, he genuinely thought he'd dreamed meeting Alastor and gaining his newfound freedom. The fact he hadn't slept since the encounter between the two overlords was probably the reason for his confusion. It definitely gave him a quick start to the day though.  
After a few moments of recovering from his mini heart attack he started to get out of bed, rubbing at his eyes once again. 

Alastor awoke at his usual time, looking to the clock on the wall before sitting up. A long day was ahead, so he figured he would begin to prepare now. 

After gathering some clothes, Alastor slunk into the shadows, appearing in the bathroom and turned the shower on.  
He wondered how long Angel would be out for, if he wasn't awake already that was.

Angel went out to the hall with intentions of using the washroom and shower, rubbing his head where Alastor had hit him, but the Radio Demon seemed to already be in there. It wasn't a big deal. He could wait. For now, he decided to go downstairs and start making coffee for them both, Fat Nuggets following after him, the little tapping of his hooves against the staircase sounding out. 

Alastor made his time in the bathroom short, quickly finishing up and dressing in his usual pinstriped strawberry colored suit. Adjusting the monocle over his right eye and brushing himself down, the deer demon swung the bathroom door open, making his way downstairs and into the kitchen.

Angel hummed and sang a song softly to himself as he made the coffee, hearing Alastor coming down the stairs. He concluded it best not to mention the deers kind actions of carrying him to his bed- after all, Alastor would most likely either deny it, or completely ignore Angels questioning. 

Just as Angel was pouring the coffee into the mugs, Alastor walked into the kitchen.  
"I see you're up. Good."  
He brightly chimed in, usual static surrounding his words as he waltzed in, looking over at what Angel was doing. 

"Nope. I'm just a figment of your imagination makin' ya a cup of coffee. Sweet of ya to be fantasizing about me~"  
Angel teased with a smirk, handing him one of the cups once it was ready. 

Alastor swiftly moved over to the other, taking one of the cups with a nod of thanks as he leant back against a kitchen counters.  
"Fantasizing? No no no. Why Angel, I do believe you are not a figment of my imagination whatsoever. Did I knock you out so hard that your poor, confused mind believes that?"  
He teased back, sipping at his drink with a grin.  
"You know, you're lucky you only woke up with a slight bruise. If it had been anyone else, I think I might have had at them for a bit longer! There's simply nothing I love more!"  
The Radio Demon chuckled, eyes narrowing as he looked to Angel for a reaction. 

"Oh, baby you should know by now that my masochist ass would have liked it~"  
Angel grinned in response, deciding to continue their little banter. It was amusing to him and the spider was now determined to get _something_ out of Alastor now that he had indulged in a good rest, his mind refreshed. 

Another point was that Angel knew that Alastor needed him around for a while longer, so in terms of existence privileges, they couldn't be taken away from the arachnid just yet.  
Fat Nuggets laid at Angels feet as he sipped his own coffee.

Perhaps having woken up on the right side of the bed, for a change, Alastor took Angels words and usual suggestive tone in stride, letting his coffee mug rest upon the edge of the counter as he took a step towards the other that could only be interpreted as challenging.  
"Well then, it's a shame that my sadistic side managed to knock you out in just one blow, hm? Even if I did continue to harm you, you wouldn't have gotten the chance to enjoy it."  
This wasn't something Alastor usually did, playfully arguing with another demon, a small smirk in his words. It was satisfying though, no doubt, and Alastor really just wanted to prove a point.

Angel gave a small laugh, stepping so close to Alastor they were nearly touching as he set his own mug down slightly louder upon the counter.  
"I might not have been able to enjoy it but my body sure as hell would have been able to~"  
His grin only grew; mismatched eyes half lidding. This was a lot of fun, messing with a sadist who had no interest in sex, and he wasn't going to back down unless he was forced to. But even then, depending on the type of force used he probably would keep going.

Alastor's eyes narrowed as he gave Angel a once over, staring down at the arachnid's fluffy chest that was just below his line of sight. He wasn't going to back down.  
"Oh, then maybe it was a good thing I decided to stop when I did. This is Hell, my dear, no one is allowed the satisfaction or enjoyment they desire. Whether that be pleasure or pain."  
His smile only pushed up his features all the more as he carried on, not willing to step further, lest he wanted to be pressed up against the other. Which was a no. 

Angel shrugged a bit.  
"Guess you're right, though we can always just take what we want~"  
The spider raised a brow, keeping his sleazy grin. If Alastor wasn't wearing that damn smart jacket, he would have absolutely taken advantage of that little tail of his. Instead, he used one of his upper hands to reach up and flick one of the little dark tufts on Alastor's head. He didn't know if they were actually ears or if it was just how his hair was. Either way, it seemed that curiosity had bested the spider. 

Alastor had to admit, of all the things he could have expected Angel to do, flick and touch one of his ears was not one of them. Nose scrunching up slightly in disapproval, Alastor batted the others arm away.  
"Not my ears."  
He spoke sternly. As most ears were, his were sensitive.

Angel couldn't help but give a small giggle at his reaction. So, they were ears after all. Well that was information he could easily use later.

Slinking out from where he stood between the counter and in front Angel, Alastor waltzed and spun around to the spider's other side, harshly jabbing a gloved pointed finger into the side of his head where he'd knocked him out the night before.

Angel watched Alastor stride to his side, assuming he was backing down. He was about to pick up his coffee again and move on but, _oh no_ , that was not the case at all. 

"Hurts, hm?"  
The deer mused with a smirk of his own, pressing a little harder as payback for the flick to his ears. Then again, Angel, the filthy demon, was probably enjoying the pain.

Angel's body tensed for a moment at the contact, not expecting it but then melted at the touch and even went as far as pushing into the force of Alastor's finger, letting out an exaggerated moan, closing his eyes as they rolled back.  
"Oh, harder deer daddy!~"  
Angel whined immorally, playing it up quite a bit for the sole purpose of making Alastor uncomfortable. He was only that whiny and desperate if either he knew the other party liked it or, in this case, to joke around and make someone uncomfortable.

As soon as he heard the sensual moan leave Angels mouth, Alastor pulled back in horror, body stiff, static abruptly cutting out. He could have made another clever comment, but definitely did not see that wise.  
The deer felt all the signs of disgust, shock and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on, but mainly the first two.  
Not saying another word, Alastor lowered his hand and strode back around Angel to reach his coffee with not a word. 

"Right... well..."  
He cleared his throat, taking a sip of his now much needed drink as he slowly turned back around to Angel. Changing the subject sounded like a good idea.  
"I see you're not ready for the day ahead yet. Perhaps it would be wise to go and do that."

Angel shot a sly smirk in Alastor's direction, eyes opening slightly to look at him. It was clear he'd won. He turned his attention back to his own cup of coffee, taking a sip.  
"What, ya got plans that involve me or somethin'? Thought you had some _other_ important business to get to."  
Arching his back slightly, Angel leant back against the counter, fluffing his chest a bit in cocky confidence. He had to admit, this was the highlight of staying with Alastor. Being able to mess with him on a daily basis. It was almost too easy and was way too amusing than what it should have been. 

Rolling his eyes as he sipped at the hot caffeine, Alastor awkwardly glanced to the door of the kitchen.  
"Nothing involving you, Angel, do not worry about my plans. Worry about yourself."

What did that mean? Alastor wasn't exactly sure. Was that a threat, or did Alastor just ask Angel to genuinely look after himself? Whatever it was, it was an awkward, on the dangerous verge of flustering, situation and Alastor needed to leave. 

"Speaking of my plans, I have to prepare! ...For them!"  
Quickly gulping down the rest of his drink, Alastor wasted no time in suddenly and conveniently disappearing, appearing back in his room with a long sigh.

Angel enjoyed seeing him to frantic and near flustered. He almost wished he didn't have to leave so soon. Maybe in the future, the deer would think twice about picking a fight with the spider. He was really holding back, too. He kept his focus on his drink, letting Alastor leave. 

"Didn't even thank me for the fuckin' coffee."  
He muttered to himself, keeping the smirk that still settled upon his face.  
Soon enough, Angel finished the cup and washed both mugs before grabbing the pig that remained at his feet and an apple, before going back up to his room to get himself ready for his own important plans.

The moment that he appeared back in his room, Alastor let out a tut of annoyance. He was supposed to be leaving, and Angel's inconvenient distraction had forced him to retreat back up to his room. It was no matter though. Swiftly exiting his room, microphone in hand, Alastor swayed down the stairs, a light tune being hummed by him as he walked.

"I shall bid you adieu, Angel!"  
He called as the front door opened before loudly slamming behind him. 

And now? Well, Alastor had to pay an old friend a visit. Unfortunately, the demons time was up, and much like the depictions of a grim reaper, Alastor was going to happily take his soul. It wasn't often that the Radio Demon sought after his contractees, but this had been a long time coming. And besides, Alastor could do with some entertainment. 

Angel poked his head out of his room as he heard Alastor call out to him, trying his best to make himself heard.  
"Adieu, my love!~"  
He called, but was interrupted by the slam of the door from downstairs mid-sentence, earning a huff and a small laugh from the spider. Lowering his gaze, he looked down to Fat Nuggets, shaking his head with a small, coy smile. 

"What are we gunna do about that man, Nugs? The more he resists the more I want 'im."  
Angel sighed, going back to getting ready for his own adventure.  
"I mean, c'mon! No one in Hell can resist me, that's been proven- but him? He's gotta be the _only_ one I can't get! I'm almost determined to test my bite on _him_ and take advantage. But I ain't like that! I ain't gonna do that. Don't repeat that to anyone, ya hear me?"  
The spider rambled to his pet, who just sat eating his apple, expression ever oblivious Angel rolled his eyes and smirked.

"You're a cute little shit, I'm glad I got someone I can rant to in confidence. Confidentiality's pretty rare down 'ere."  
Fondly patting the pigs head, Angel slowly sighed once again.  
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some business of my own to tend to. Be a good boy and I'll get ya somethin' nice."  
With a small cackle as he recited a quote from Valentino, Angel exited his room, closing the door behind him, shortly leaving the house. 

__

***

__

Alastor, once he was out, calmly made the twenty minute journey downtown to where some of the more... rundown places in Hell were.  
It didn't take him at all long to find his 'friends' home, and shortly he was knocking politely upon the poor soul's door. 

__

The demon had been expecting Alastor and for the past few days, had been cooped up in his filthy home, scared shitless over the fact that the Radio Demon could appear and kill him at any time. Even if he wasn't on Alastors radar, many demons lived with that looming fear, much to the deers amusement. 

__

When the knock at the door sounded, the sad little demon knew. No one ever visited him, so yes... he knew. 

__

***

__

While out and around the city, Angel spent his time both hanging around the swing club, and also at a place he'd seen a job being advertised at.  
The little place was only looking for an occasional worker, which he was more than able to do. It would give him plenty of time to do his own things on the side as well as get ready to complete the deal between himself and the Radio Demon.

__

Not really in the mood to be walking back to Alastors home, instead he called for a taxi, the driver obviously recognizing him as being _the_ Angel Dust. 

__

As most things did when the spider was in the presence of some other demon, one thing led to another and Angel had somehow convinced his victim, the driver, to come inside for a bit of 'extra fun'. Unbeknownst to the taxi driver, Angel had full intent of testing his bite on the poor sap.  
By the time they arrived back at the home, it was getting dark. Angel didn't bother turning any lights on in the house besides the one for his own room...

__


	15. The Bite and The Fall

Over the course of the next few hours, Alastor finished up with his 'friend', making quick work of beheading and dismembering the now soulless body. It may have been twisted, but the fact that Alastor had done that all in the victim's own home, it made it all the more amusing to the Radio Demon. 

It may have not been a record time for Alastor- the filthy vermin's bones had been unfortunately a little tough to cut though, but nonetheless, Alastor had finished by the time that it had started to get dark. A day well spent, if you asked him. 

With bloodstained hands and attire, Alastor nonchalantly began his walk home. The other demons body parts danced behind the Radio Demon at his will, bopping up and down in a line formation to the beat of a tune Alastor played as he strolled home. Blood dripped down in a line behind him, many demons on the streets watching on with fear, some with awe and others with an indifferent attitude. Oh, how he loved that diversity. 

***

This is what Angel honestly had been needing after so long. He'd been without any heavy physical contact with another for seemingly an eternity now, and it was killing him for what felt like a second time. 

After bringing the driver right up to his room, Angel made sure to leave poor Fat Nuggets outside in the hallway, the pig obediently sitting still as the other two got down to business.  
Almost immediately after the door slammed behind them, Angel was finally able to let loose. Loud and heavy sexual sounds could faintly be heard coming from the room, but for the most part, luckily enough the room seemed to almost sound proof their noises quite well. So at least from the outside, those sounds didn't seem half as loud. 

***

It wasn't long before Alastor arrived back at his home, the door swinging open as he stepped in, the body parts dropping to the floor with the most awful sound, head rolling a little. 

A tune that was being hummed happily by the Radio Demon quickly came to an abrupt halt the moment he heard...something.  
It was faint, but it was coming from upstairs. And didn't Angel say he had his own business to attend to, meaning that he shouldn't be here?

Leaving the dismembered corpse in the hallway, Alastor slowly made his way upstairs, skeptical as his eyes narrowed, spotting Fat Nuggets at the top of the stairs, simply staring at him with those tiny eyes.  
"Why aren't you in your room, pig."  
Alastor huffed, stopping in his tracks once he heard the noise again. 

Alastors mind immediately went to thoughts of an intruder, however when he heard it once more, he was able to pinpoint it to...Angels room.  
"Oh _please_..." With a tone that was most poisonous, Alastor cringed, twitching uncomfortably. "How disgusting...no class." 

The pig looked up at Alastor for a moment before trotting closer to the demon, laying down on one of his shoes with a snort. The slamming and whining noises that disturbed Alastors thoughts didn't subside. In fact, there was no indication that Angel and whoever else was in there, would be finishing any time soon.  
He flinched slightly as the pig came to lay down upon one of his feet, however had much bigger issues to worry about right now. 

Angel, on the other hand, didn't know when Alastor planned to be home, nor did he really care. His needs were being satisfied and he was getting paid for it so it didn't matter to him in the slightest. 

Of course, Alastor was very much aware of Angels line of work and what that entailed, but to have the filthy act suddenly be done in his own home? No no no, the radio demon was having none of it. Eyes narrowing all the more once he realised the noises wouldn't be stopping soon, Alastor raised a hand. This wouldn't do. The deer had work to do, and while the noises weren't exactly loud from outside, it was still the fact that they were going on, that disturbed the demon. 

As his hand raised, a black hole began to form in the floor, the head that Alastor had dismembered from his victim earlier popping up through it, disappearing from where it was laying in the downstairs hallway.  
With an expression of annoyance, Alastor snapped his fingers, the head suddenly disappearing...somewhere. 

All Alastor could say was, he hoped Angel and his guest enjoyed their little gift that would be joining them on the bed. However that was where Alastor messed up. Who was to say that Angel was on the bed? 

The two inside didn't seem phased, the noises only growing louder by the second. Angel could definitely be heard begging for the other demon not to stop, profanities of all sorts leaving his mouth. The taxi driver demon obviously wasn't aware of Angel's true plans to inject him with his venom, nor was he aware that the house he was currently in, belonged to the Radio Demon. 

Despite Angels underlying intentions, he still wanted to wait until he was at least satisfied first though. No point in starting something and not finishing. That was the worst kind of tease imaginable. 

Alastor waited for perhaps a shout of fear or a scream of some sorts. However, it seemed that he forgot this was in fact Hell and knowing Angel, the arachnid was probably weirdly into it. 

Either way, Alastor was not having this any more.  
"I suppose I shall just have to stop this directly..."  
He muttered to Fat Nuggets, glancing down to the pig with a sigh of exasperation. 

Moving so that the pig was no longer squishing his foot, Alastor didn't bother to open the door. It was most likely locked anyways. Instead, he simply used the shadows of the darkened home to appear quietly in the room, eyes glowing a deep red. The awful sounds were unfortunately all the louder now, however not for long.  
Not wasting any time, the dull hum of static interference began to get louder and louder, Alastor's neck snapping at an unnatural angle, his eyes dead and wide as the room around them began to glitch out. It was hardly an empty threat. 

Angel's victim had him pinned against the wall furthest away from the bed. The spiders booted legs were lifted and wrapped around the driver as they indulged in their act. The fact they were nowhere near the bed explained why Alastor's initial plan hadn't played out as he'd hoped. Neither of them had even noticed the demon head laying on the bed. 

They were obviously too busy to notice Alastor's presence either, but the sudden glitching and static suddenly tore them from their act of debauchery. Angel eyes widened in fear as he noticed, becoming so spooked that he bit down harshly onto the drivers shoulder hard and injected a small amount of the venom prematurely. He hadn't intended to do that yet! 

In an immediate response, the now wounded demon yelped and quickly stumbled away from Angel, dropping him to the floor as he pulled back. At the sudden pull back, Angel eyes widened all the more as he yelped against the shoulder flesh, his sharp teeth brutally shredding the demon's shoulder as he was yanked away without warning. 

Angel hit the floor with a loud thud, head almost slamming against the wall from the unexpected drop.  
"TRAVIS WHAT THE FU-"  
He stopped. The glitching air had subsided enough for Angel to see the cause of all this.  
Face turning red, the spider puffed his cheeks out in frustration, quickly covering himself as he pulled his shorts back on properly. 

The demon now known as Travis painfully cradled his badly bleeding shoulder and looked up at the shadowy figure in the room with them. It didn't take a genius to recognise it as being the Radio Demon. The smile said it all.  
Travis' ears fell back in fear as he scrambled towards the door, low repetitive mutters of 'oh shit' being just audible under his breath. 

"Travis don't you _dare_ leave!!"  
Angel screeched loudly, getting to his own feet before practically jumping onto the idiot, his focus no longer on Alastor. It wasn't like he'd get far with the venom now in his body anyways.

Alastor could only laugh, throaty chuckles escaping past his tightly clenched fangs as he watched the demon known as Travis, pull away in fear upon seeing him.  
"You know, it's very rude to enter a man's home without his permission."  
Alastor began, slowly walking closer to the demon who was scrambling to the door, his shoulder bleeding from the bite Alastor had seen Angel give him.  
"Don't worry, with that bite wound I'm sure you won't get very far." 

Angel held Travis down and whipped around to Alastor.  
"Back the fuck up, Alastor! This is our test victim!" He almost growled, scowling darkly at the deer.  
Angel did his best to protect Travis, who was bleeding on the floor near the bedroom door. If he didn't know better, then it certainly looked as if Alastor was about to send Travis to double- if not triple Hell. 

"Angel lemme go! I got a wife at home!"  
Travis pleaded, trying to squirm away, his attempts being futile of course. Even so, with how hard he was kicking, Angel almost find himself struggling to keep him down. 

"Travis, Travis stop- stop! Stop fucking moving!!"  
Angel grabbed the demon's arm and bit down again, releasing more venom into his body in attempts to get the other to stop. 

Travis slowly started to calm, Angel not pulling away until he wasn't moving anymore. 

Laughing all the more at the wild scene that was unfolding before him, Alastor did as Angel asked, taking a couple of steps back and simply enjoying the view of Travis struggling out the room as Angel had his way with him, biting the demon once more. 

"You have a wife? My my, how scandalous indeed. Yes, that's quite a shame, hm?"  
Stepping out the room, arms folded behind his back, Alastor just stared down at Travis as he began to calm down, the poison taking hold. Good. It was working quickly. 

Angel panted lightly, Travis was stronger than he looked so holding him down was a struggle. 

Travis laid on the floor in a limp heap with Angel still on his back, who then looked up at Alastor with the biggest scowl he could muster. It was almost terrifying.  
"The fuck did you go doin' that for?! I was so close!!" 

He finally got up, brushing himself down and fixed himself up. Fat Nuggets made his way over to the now heavily drugged demon on the floor, sniffing him curiously. 

Once Travis was out, Alastor turned to Angel. He could see he was a little annoyed.  
"You were distracting me with those awful, filthy noises."  
He stated simply with a small shrug, looking back into Angels room and spotting the demon head that lay on the bed. "Ah!" 

Stepping over Travis, Alastor calmly strolled into the bedroom, retrieving the dripping head from Angels bed. The sheets were a little bloodstained now, but that was nothing Alastor couldn't fix. He moved back out to the hallway again, head resting under his arm.  
"Besides, I wanted to retrieve my belonging." 

"You can't give me shit for any of that! You gave me one. One. Fucking. Rule. The one rule which I haven't broken! There was absolutely nothing said about me not doing this!"  
He threw all four of his hands up in the air in anger, watching displeased as Alastor grabbed the head.  
"And when did you plant that thing there?! I get that this is your fuckin' house but ya can't be keepin' your god damn bodies in my room! I'll keep MY bodies in MY room and you keep YOURS anywhere else YOU want!!" His throat ached from the shouting, but it was worth it if it made Alastor at least feel somewhat guilty. 

Angel started to drag Travis's body back into his room to help illustrate the point about keeping his own bodies in his room. Travis just groaned in a drugged daze, Fat Nuggets following as he started to nibble and chew the demons ear. 

Alastor just rolled his eyes, remembering back to the night previously where Angel had accidentally let something slip about the books in Alastors room.  
"Yes, well here's the thing, my dear, I do believe you did break my one and only rule." Alastor began, raising the head in his arms as if to prove his point now. 

Watching as the arachnid began to drag Travis into his room, Alastor sighed. "There's no need to get all upset with me, Angel. Just because I didn't let you finish your 'fun time'."  
He explained, voice nonchalant yet cocky as it always was. 

Angel simply scoffed, beginning to make noises to interrupt Alastor, in an attempt to shush him before walking over to the deer.   
"I actually didn't break your precious rule. YOU left your door open so my curious mind did what it does best and investigated! That one, you sterile virgin prick, is on you! Congratu-fucking-lations!"  
Angel proceeded to harshly poke his index finger into Alastor's chest repeatedly as he ranted on. 

"HOWEVER! I did not physically enter your room! You said not to go IN. I didn't go IN! I looked inside and left it at that, knowing full well that you'd most likely hold your threat in murdering me without hesitation, but I know how much you actually need me for your stupid plan to work! I'm untouchable!!" Angel almost mocked, his furious expression stretching to a slight grin of accomplishment as he made his point clear. 

Alastor didn't flinch as Angel pocked his finger into his chest, still continuing on with his loud rant. The radio demons eyes only narrowed all the more once Angel had fully admitted into seeing inside his room. 

And Alastor absolutely hated the fact that, oh boy, Angel was right. He LOATHED that.  
Alastor knew exactly what he'd told the arachnid upon his arrival, and yes, it had been not too go into his room. He never specify stated he couldn't look from behind the threshold. 

The insults were thrown his way, and while those at least weren't accurate, it wasn't the time to argue back against those. Not to mention, they almost made Alastor laugh with how humorous they were. 

"Angel, Angel, Angel."  
He tutted, dropping the head to the floor with a thud and letting it roll.  
"I can see this is going nowhere. There are perfectly good reasons why others are not allowed in my room- even to have a brief look! I will not admit you are correct, but I will let you off with a warning."

And what did that warning mean exactly? Well, Alastor had already been pretty lenient with Angel thus far, so perhaps a proper warning was in order. He was starting to get on his nerves with how loud he was being right now. Not to mention the foul langue was rather bothersome. 

Angels eyes narrowed and stepped back into his room, folding his arms over his torso. 

"I am right and you know it. You're just too full of your damn self to admit you're wrong. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a demon drugged out of his fucking mind to tend to."  
He huffed, bending over and grabbing Travis from under his arms as he started dragging him over to the bed with a bit of struggle, not bothering to close the door yet. 

Alastor carefully watched as Angel pulled Travis over to the bed, the spider clearly thinking that he had won this. The Radio Demon wasn't a petty person in the slightest (sometimes), he just simply refused to back down from a bold challenge such as proving the cocky spider wrong. 

Alastor waited until Angel had got Travis onto the bed, the pathetic pile looking dead. He might as well have been, but the slow rise and fall of his chest said otherwise.  
"You should learn to count your blessings Angel. I'll see you soon."  
Without any warning whatsoever, a void darker than the night sky down here in Hell, grew from underneath Angel, pulling him in.  
"You can't prove me wrong, my dear! Let's hope you enjoy the pain of this as much as you say you do!" 

Angel huffed, looking back at Alastor as he spoke. He was about to walk over to shut the door in his face, when the black hole appeared, Angel immediately falling in. He grabbed the edge of the floor and held on for his life. It scared him to the point of nearly screaming. His anger switched over to fear in an instant.  
"H-Hey!! Alastor!!"  
He shrieked, looking down into the void, seeing nothing but an emptiness staring back at him.  
"Alastor lemme up!! I'm sorry, okay?! I won't even look at your door! I won't leave my room! I'll be a good boy I promise!!" 

The spider started begging and pleading, looking up at Alastor with the fear of death in his eyes. Fat Nuggets instinctively ran over to Angel, biting his wrist and attempting to try and pull him up. 

Alastor sighed in frustration, rubbing his temples with exhaustion. Of course. It was always the grovelling. The moment any demon was placed in a supposed 'life or death' situation, they were always begging for mercy. As entertaining as it usually was, he'd seen it far too many times and despite his rather productive and good morning, Alastor was in a rather sour mood now. 

"So mundane."  
He almost snarled, wasting no time in turning on his heels, flicking the pig away and leaving Angel to the void. Of course, he wasn't going to leave him in there long. But regardless, the spider had to be taught a lesson he wouldn't forget. 

Angel was trying to pull himself up, relying perhaps too heavily on his pig. When Fat Nuggets was taken out of the equation, Angel fell into the nothingness completely with one final shriek. In that moment he came to terms with what he assumed his fate was, never seeing the light of day again. He watched as the opening grew smaller and smaller. 

Once Angel had fallen in, Alastor quickly closed the hole, smiling and humming to himself as if nothing had just happened. 

"Ah, the wonderful sound of silence."  
He chuckled, striding out of Angels room and picking up the head on the floor as he began his descent downstairs. Now to finish what he started in regards to the body lying in his downstairs hallways. He was feeling a little hungry now that he thought about it. A snack wouldn't hurt. 

As soon as the hole closed, Fat Nuggets ran to where it was and started scraping at the floor with his hooves, snorting quietly. 

Angel was left in the void, surrounded by nothing. He couldn't see nor hear anything. So, he did what seemed to be the only thing he'd be able to do. Pulling his knees up to his chest, hugging them with both sets of arms, he buried his forehead against his knees and started to cry. 

Alastor left it an hour or so. In the meantime that Angel was trapped in the void, the radio demon did in fact enjoy the delicacy of demon flesh. It made for a most delicious meal and really took him back to say the least. Of course, it only made his bloodstained clothing all the more bloody, but he certainly didn't mind that. Not when the enjoyment he got out of cannibalizing his victim was such a great feeling. 

Of course, one meal wasn't enough to finish an entire body, so Alastor simply made some room in his refrigerator, pushing aside some of the groceries that Angel had recently brought for their meal a few days back. 

Speaking of Angel, Alastor figured it had been long enough. 

Making his way into the lounge, Alastor simply snapped his fingers, the void opening up in the ceiling directly above the couch. 

During his time in the void, Angel came to terms with the fact he wasn't getting out. When he'd finally finished crying, the spider started spinning himself around and trying to figure out if he was falling or floating. At least here he wouldn't have to worry about anything like Valentino or that dumb event Alastor needed help crashing. But at the same time he had no form of entertainment or stimulation. The only thought that ran through his head was that this was going to be a really, really long eternity to suffer through. 

However, not long after that thought, light could be seen from under him as a hole opened up. His eyes strained a bit and he had no time to react before falling out of the void and onto a couch with a thud and a yelp, bouncing off of the couch and onto the floor. 

The darkness of the void promptly closed, Alastor's gaze snapping down to Angel who was now on the floor. "Most spend an eternity surrounded by darkness. So one hour, is lenient of me, I'd say." Was all he replied, at the very least, offering Angel a hand up off the floor. 

"Your pig has been squeaking for you, damaging my flooring with its trotters." 

Even now, Alastor could hear the quiet scraping of the pig from directly above them. It was honestly such a stupid animal. 

Angel laid on the floor in a daze for a few moments, confused and questioning a few things. His eyes finally managed to adjust to the light, settling and focusing on Alastor and then to the hand offered to him. He stayed silent, taking note that he could hear the pig upstairs as well.  
Quietly with a hung head, the spider took Alastor's hand and stood with his help. He brushed himself off with a blank and sniffled.  
"Lesson learned..."  
Angel murmured before quickly heading upstairs to calm his pet. 

Alastor simply smiled smugly, hands resting behind his back as he watched Angel slink off up the stairs.  
Yes, lesson learned indeed. 

The lesson Alastor had learnt from this all, was that all Angel needed to calm his petty outbursts, was a short timeout. And that information to Alastor at least, was absolutely perfect knowledge! 

Angel went up to his room, nearly jumping at the sight of the other demon in his bed. He'd forgotten all about that. With a sigh, he closed his door and slid down to sit on the floor in front of it. Fat Nuggets immediately ran his fat little ass over to Angel and started cuddling into him, snorting gratefully. At least at that, Angel gave a small smile. 

"At least I've got you, Nugs..." 

Angel whispered softly, cuddling the animal in return. He had no plans of going back out for the rest of the week if he could help it, eventually getting up to go to the closet and grab some spare PCP he had left. Luckily he had some in pill form, not wanting to be bothered with the trouble of any of the other methods. He needed this...

Alastor, once he'd made his way upstairs again, for some reason stooped outside Angels room. Obviously his partner in crime wasn't in the best of moods right now and perhaps blamed Alastor for that. 

Alastor thought long and hard, simply having a stare off with the door handle of Angels room before thinking better of it. Without a word, he strode into his room, all intentions of even slightly apologizing to Angel having been forgotten. 

By that time, Angel had gotten high off of his ass and had passed out on top of Travis, who was still sedated. It took him a full two days to fully recover from Angel's bite, Angel keeping him in his room to help tend to his shoulder and to make sure he was alright. 

Angel wasn't a complete piece of shit like a vast majority of Hell's residents. He didn't take advantage of Travis after that day. And as the days went by, he traveled into the center of the city whenever he was called in for the job he'd happily been recruited for. When he wasn't working, he was up in his room, avoiding Alastor to the best of his ability. You'd occasionally catch him in the kitchen making a meal when he knew Alastor was busy, however still had the decency to leave him a plate of whatever it was he made, when he made it. 

Three weeks went by in a silent flash, and now it was a few days before Lucifer's awaited party.  
Angel didn't bother to think of how different things would have been if Alastor hadn't sent him into that damn void... if they hadn't even argued in the first place. 

Angel was down in the kitchen, quietly making himself something quick to eat, planning to retreat back into his room before Alastor caught him. He didn't think Alastor wanted to bring him to the living world after their fallout and could tell the Radio Demon most probably wanted to be rid of him as soon as the deal was over. He was ready and had already accepted that. But that was fine. Once this was all said and done, Angel had his own things to plan for. Freedom was an exciting premise indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Cue evil laughter*


	16. Let’s Reconcile For The Living

Alastor wasn't around much of the three weeks that swiftly passed. The radio demon too avoided Angel, knowing full well that the other was doing the same. For the most part, he was cooped up in his room either gathering all the spells and other weird practices in preparation for his plans, or he was out of the house, attending to his own business. 

Angel had been avoiding him for a while now, and while the lack of noise was nice, Alastor wasn't too sure how he felt about his partner in crime not interacting with him when the party was so close now. Not to mention, he had to bring the arachnid with him to the living world still. And he hardly saw any of that working out if they were to stay in this current state of avoidance. 

Alastor too, had left his room, wanting to sort this all out. They had to press on with the next phase of planning and for that, Alastor needed Angel with him. A talk of reconciliation was in order. 

He strolled down the stairs quietly, usual grainy hum surrounding him as he made his way into the kitchen, sure enough finding the arachnid where he knew he was. 

"I trust you're prepared then." Was all he said as he stepped into the kitchen, not yet making eye contact with Angel. 

Angel was so focused on getting his food and returning his ass back upstairs, that he hadn't even heard Alastor coming up to him. He probably should have, but his thoughts kept him busy. 

When Alastor did speak, Angel jumped a bit with a small gasp, a hand on his chest. It had been a while since he'd heard that voice. Angels eyes closed as he quickly regained his composure, still keeping his back to Alastor as he cleared his throat.  
"Ready for what? The party ain't for another few days. Unless you've forgotten." 

Staying nonchalant, Alastor moved around so that he was leaning against the kitchen counter, noticing how Angel still kept his back to him.  
"Why, the party may not be for a few more days, but that doesn't mean we don't have elsewhere to be, hm?"

Either Angel had forgotten about their trip to the living world, which Alastor hardly doubted due to the arachnids initial excitement at the idea, or he simply presumed Alastor did not want him around.   
"I hope you haven't forgotten. We're still going. In fact...we're going right now."

Angel stopped for a moment, his head turning towards Alastor slightly in mild shock.   
"You.... still want me to go with you? I didn't think that..-"  
Trailing off, the rest of his sentence being lost to confusion, Angel quickly turned the heat off the stove before moving the pan he was cooking in, to the side.   
For only a moment, Angel turned to Alastor. However, it was just to grab two plates. After he'd gotten what he needed, he quickly turned back around again, beginning to plate the food he'd made for the both of them, from the dish that had been in the oven.

Alastor simply crossed his arms over his chest, watching as Angel grabbed the two plates from the oven and began to plate some food.  
"Why, of course." He sighed as if it was the most obvious thing. "I never stated otherwise."   
And while Angel probably thought that their cold silences towards each other meant that he wasn't going to the living world anymore, Alastor thought otherwise.

"We leave soon. So after we've eaten, I'd like to go there as soon as possible." 

Angel _somehow_ managed to keep himself contained. It was a huge surprise to him that Alastor still wanted him to tag along. Over the days, Angel had accepted the fact that he'd slow probably the other demon down if he went anyways, but, if Alastor really did want his company while there, the spider certainly wasn't going to complain one bit. He finished serving the food and brought both plates to the table along with utensils.

"Well, I guess we should hurry this up then."  
Managing to sound composed and calm, Angel carefully set the plates down and placed himself across from where Alastor usually sat. 

Alastor continued to watch as Angel brought the food over, the deer demon moving to come and sit opposite Angel.  
"Yes, we should."   
He nodded in response, looking up at Angel for a moment, his smile widening, it's purpose unclear.   
"Thank you, my dear, this looks delectable."   
Grin not fading, he picked up his fork and began to eat. After all, they were on a tight schedule now. And it would stay that way up until the fateful day of the much anticipated party. 

"We have a short time period in the living world, as you know about, so we should be back by tomorrow morning. Or at least, we should be." 

"Hopefully."  
Angel nodded, wasting no time in starting to eat.  
"And you've got those spells and whatever you need to make us... not... this?"  
He gestured to the both of them, referring to their demon forms.   
Surprisingly, Angel felt as if he was playing this really well thus far. Outside he seemed unphased when inside he was practically screaming, ready to ditch the food and just go right in that minute.

Alastor chuckled a little, nodding his head.   
"Yes, we will look like our old selves again." presuming that was what Angel had meant.   
Especially since seven to eight-foot deer and spider demons would probably be quite the shock to any pitiful human being who happened to cross them. 

Alastor continued to eat, enjoying the food that Angel had made, as always. And like he'd said before, the spider was quite the natural in the arts of cooking. 

"That's gunna be great."  
Angel admitted with a small sigh of relief, picking up the pace a bit.  
"And you said Louisiana, right? Or somethin'?"  
He was already planning and plotting his actions while there. Slowly, his excitement was starting to slip and show through his calm facade as he asked his questions, clearly growing more and more impatient by the minute.   
"Are gunna need to bring our own clothes or will those be part of the spell?"

Alastor had almost finished up his meal, looking to Angel's plate that had almost been cleared too.  
"Yes Louisiana. I haven't been back in years, so I'm wondering how much it has changed."  
Quite a lot, most likely.  
"All inclusive, my dear." Alastor added on, answering Angels question about the clothes. "However, you may wish to bring what you like. Your choice."

"Hey, I'll go fuckin' nude if I gotta. I don't care."  
Angel shrugged, quickly finishing the plate. He waited for Alastor to finish as well before grabbing their plates and setting them in the sink.  
"I'll do those when we get back. -Let's go."  
He clapped and hopped on the spot a bit, pumping himself up for the experience.

Alastor just rolled his eyes, knowing full well that Angel was completely serious about going nude if he had to.   
"Yes, I don't think anyone would appreciate that though."   
He grinned, standing up from the table and nodding at the premise of doing the dishes later.   
"Follow me." Alastor soon cut in, beginning to head for the stairs. 

After the whole ordeal and speech about not wanting any demon in his room, it seemed as if this time was the one exception. Perhaps their argument had been for nothing after all. 

Angel did as he was told, following Alastor up the stairs. As the walked, Angel couldn't help but watch Alastor's ass, his thoughts wandering as he thought about the tail he had hiding underneath that jacket. He just couldn't help it. It was right in front of him!   
Once he noticed Alastor heading for his bedroom though, he paused, watching as Alastor stepped inside. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to follow or if he was supposed to wait outside. Was this a test? Surely not. 

Alastor casually walked into the room, the door almost closing behind him before the Radio Demon caught it, holding it open for a moment.   
"Well?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at Angel expectantly.   
"Are you coming?" 

Leaving the door open for Angel, presuming he was just taking a moment, Alastor moved over to a bookcase in the dim room, running a finger across the spines of the books as he searched for the one he was looking for. 

Angel took a breath before finally following Alastor into the room. Carefully, he brought his gaze down to the threshold on the floor, segregating the hallway from the Radio Demons mysterious bedroom. Watching intensely as he stepped over it and officially entered Alastor's room, Angel quickly closed the door behind him, letting out a breath. 

Now being able to get a better look at everything, Angel looked around the room, eyes widening in awe a little.   
It was quite dark in the room, so the personal picture frames of Alastor's couldn't be seen too well from where they were framed upon the wall. And the many deer heads mounted on the side wall were ever ominous, seemingly staring at you from whatever angle you looked at them, their cold dead eyes following you. 

Continuing to search for the book needed, Alastor eventually found it and carefully pulled it out, some dust rising into the air as he did so. 

Angel knew he was lucky to be in here at all and he probably shouldn't have been looking at things but, man, some of this shit was fascinating. The mounted heads didn't seem to bother him much, if anything they intrigued him even more. Surely they had history to them, and Angel was curious. 

Silently giving himself a small pep talk, Angel managed to restrain himself from touching anything or getting too close to the shelves and artifacts Alastor had, instead walking over to the deer demon. 

Alastor flicked through the pages of the large book, expression focused as he pulled his monocle down a little over his eye, squinting. 

Keeping his focus on the book, Alastor slowly strode closer to Angel, his grin widening so much so that it almost stretched across his entire lower face. 

There were candles already set up on the floor, because of course there were. Not only that, but in the center of those circularly arranged candles was the chalk outline of a pentagram, matching that of the one in the sky over Pentagram City down here. 

The sinister looking deer demon began to read out the words from the book, it being in some unrecognizable ancient language. As he chanted, the candles suddenly burst to life, lighting up and encasing the demons room in a soft, green glow- much like the one that happened when Angel had made the deal with Alastor. 

Angel stood on the opposite side of the circle from Alastor, watching him closely. He wasn't sure how this whole thing worked or how it was going to play out, having never participated in anything like this before. But it sure as hell looked fascinating.   
He listened closely to the language Alastor spoke, trying to figure out what it was. Maybe Latin? He didn't know. He could speak English and Italian so wasn't too knowledgeable when it came to languages. 

All of the spiders focus was on Alastor and the pentagram now, everything else not even registering anymore. 

From around the circle, a ring of fire began to grow, light starting to crack through the floorboards as the portal to the living world started to open. 

Symbols and old tribal like insignia's etched themselves into the slowly cracking floorboards, glowing a deep shade of red, one that matched the color that Alastor's eyes were glowing in that moment, deep shadows contrasting against them green light of the room that highlighted his smile. 

Alastor stopped chanting abruptly, snapping his fingers as the book disappeared. He then turned to Angel, looking at him with an unreadable expression.   
"Shall we?" Holding out his hand, Alastor began to walk towards the now open portal. 

Angel watched with interested as everything started to unfold and come together. This experience in itself was by far the coolest yet most nerve-racking Angel had ever had in both life and death. 

The look on Alastor's face made him even more nervous, but he pushed past it and grabbed the deer's hand without much hesitation, though in the back of his mind he was a bit scared as to what could happen in the human world and, for some really stupid reason, he was scared of what Alastor was going to think about his previous form. 

Angel kept his head up despite his nerves and walked with Alastor to the opening. 

There wasn't much to it. With Angel having taken his hand, all they had to do now was fall. And Alastor, ever nonchalant, did just that. Without so much as a second thought, he was pulling Angel down through the portal with him, a very bright light encasing the both of them as they fell. 

The darkness of Alastor's room above was slowly getting smaller and smaller until it had disappeared completely.   
The light around them was so bright, almost blinding. Alastor had to close his eyes, feeling himself still falling. 

Angel, being pulled along, let himself fall. If Alastor was calm, he was calm.   
As the light embraced them, Angel closed his eyes tightly, mainly from the sheer brightness but also to keep his nerves in check to some degree. 

The light soon faded and Angel could feel a breeze hit his cheeks. His eyes cracked open ever so slightly to see an opening just in front of them. He readied himself to take the first step out into the world, closing his eyes again as he did. He didn't want to open them until Alastor said to.

When it seemed as if they'd finished falling, Alastor too felt that breeze, causing his eyes to open as he spied the opening to the other side of the portal. Good, they were here. 

Alastor, unlike Angel, kept his eyes wide open as he stepped forwards, the portal coming up from the ground. Earth. The ground beneath them was actual earth, and it was alive. Green.


	17. True Flesh and Bones

It had been so long for Alastor... it almost startled him as he felt a cool breeze against his skin. 

Angel nearly shivered at the breeze that hit him without warning. He could feel that his body had changed during their fall but it took him a moment to realize it. Squeezing Alastors hand a bit, Angel slowly dared to open his eyes, unable to wait any longer.  
From what he could feel, the angle in which he now held Alastors hand had changed, meaning their height was quite different now. 

It took a moment for Angel's now matching green eyes to adjust, seeing the living world in all of its glory. Instinctively looking down a bit at Alastor, Angel blinked when he suddenly realised he was face to face with the top of the deers chest. For once, he actually had to look up at Alastor just to make eye contact. 

Before he could do so though, he slowly let go of the others hand, gaze falling back down to his own hands which stretched out in front of himself. Eyes still widened in awe, Angel began to pat himself down with only one set of arms. Only one set! Oh boy, it was the weirdest feeling to be human again. 

His hands quickly moved up to his own face and hair, finally feeling fleshy human skin and the soft blonde wavy locks he had before all of this Hell.

Alastor slowly dropped Angels hand, looking down at himself silently. For one, he felt a hell of a lot shorter than he had been, but as his gaze caught Angels, it seemed that he wasn't the shortest out of the two of them anymore. 

The deers face, of all things, was the feature that had changed the most during the transformation. No longer did a menacing grin permanently frame his pale face with wicked, yellow fangs, but rather, his smile was...normal. It didn't look infinitely evil at all. In fact, it almost seemed friendly.  
His complexion was once again healthy and his eyes a dark brown, framed by clear metal glasses and neat head of chocolate colored hair. 

Angel looked...really different too. Definitely not what the radio demon had imagined. The funniest thing, Alastor had to admit, was that the spider was shorter than him. That was truly the highlight of all this. 

Angel squished his cheeks, feeling the soft flesh beneath regular human fingers, still in slight awe.  
After getting over himself slightly, he slowly brought his attention back to Alastor, now ready to marvel at him instead. And marvel did he indeed.  
He didn't mind that he was now shorter. In fact, he almost preferred it. 

Taking a moment to observe the Radio Demon beside him, Angel gave Alastor a smile to which little dimples formed on his cheeks. Alastor didn't look nearly as scary this way. He was actually incredibly handsome and rather charming. 

Angel couldn't help himself as he reached up and poked one of Alastor's cheeks, smile widening to the point his green eyes squinted a bit, the dimples deepening all the more and nose scrunching a bit, normal and white human teeth showing themselves to the world. He couldn't form words just yet but... holy shit. That was literally the only thing that ran through his mind. 

His hand moved from Alastor's cheek up to that soft looking brown hair, running his fingers through it in amazement. By this point he'd forgotten completely that the handsome man in front of him was still Alastor. And Alastor was in fact still the Radio Demon. 

Alastor's eyes narrowed a little at the poke to his cheek, however he didn't look half as intimidating as he usually did. And when Angel ran a hand through his hair, well, Alastor still did as he usually did. He pulled away.  
"Angel-" He spoke, tone a little testing as he cleared his throat a little. It was weird not having any sort of radio effect over his voice, no static running through his words. His voice was completely normal as well. 

Angels dimples were quite fascinating. Alastor didn't expect him to have those either, but it seemed that their human forms were quite surprising to each other. Well, of course they were. They weren't all angled and scary. 

Moving to brush himself down, Alastor straightened himself out a little, long lanky limbs standing to attention.  
"I bet it's a relief to have normal feet again, hm?"  
He smiled, presuming that Angel had yet to notice those.

Angel almost pouted when Alastor pulled away. His hair was really soft and the voice without the static was incredibly weird, soothing and dashing all at once. Plus he didn't have those ears he could tease anymore, but this was only for a day so they'd be back.  
At the sudden mention of his feet, his eyes widened, gaze quickly shooting down.  
"Oh my god!!"

He fell immediately to the grassy ground and started pulling his shoes off aggressively, throwing them behind him and pulling the socks off, falling onto his back and raising his feet in the air. Not gross weird looking spider feet! Normal. Human. FEET! 

Angel couldn't help but laugh a bit and kick his legs around in joy, toes wiggling.  
"I couldn't be happier!!!"  
He cheered, curling up and hugging his legs with the biggest and brightest smile he'd ever been able to give. His spidery feet had always been a big insecurity of his- in fact, one of the only insecurities. So to have regular looking feet again was something of a huge weight suddenly lifting off his shoulders. 

Alastor once again took another step back as he watched Angel fall to the grassy ground, his shoes and socks practically flying off.  
"Yes... I'm sure you are."  
Alastor hummed, turning away from Angel and leaving him to his feet in favor of looking around the area a little. He needed to see where they were and they didn't have a moment to waste. 

There wasn't much around here, it was just a grassy area, however there were lights in the distance. It was sunset, so it would be getting dark soon meaning that they'd have to figure out where they were pretty quickly. Alastor had taken them to Louisiana no doubt, but he wasn't exactly sure where in Louisiana. Not to mention, a lot of the scenery had changed drastically. 

Angel rolled around excitedly in the grass, giggling and laughing like a child. He stopped on his back, looking up at the sky filled with its beautiful pinks and oranges. He wiggled his human toes once and scrunched his nose, sighing softly in pure happiness. It took him a few minutes to get himself sorted out and look across at Alastor, sitting up as he ran a hand through his hair. 

"So, where are we and where do we need to be?"  
Angel finally asked, grass and a few leaves sticking to his hair as he stood up, beginning to brush himself down.  
He hadn't noticed until now, but it appeared he was wearing what he'd worn the day he died.

Alastor simply ignored Angel as he rolled around and laughed amongst the grass. Yes, clearly he was a little too excited about this. It was only for a day after all. 

After a few moments of checking out the area, Alastor returned his attention to Angels, hands resting upon his hips. He too was wearing the same outfit he'd died in, all those years back.  
"Well, I'm not sure exactly where we are, but those lights in the near distance look at least promising, so I'd say we should head for them before it gets too dark."  
He nodded, glancing Angel up a down, taking in his appearance once more. 

"I must admit, it's a surprise to see you wearing so much."  
There was a slight smugness behind his words as he blurted them out. 

Laughing in response, Angel just nodded. Not even an intended insult on Alastors part could bring his mood down right now.  
"Honestly, considering how I died, me too!"  
Angel replied, running his fingers through his hair to get the debris out of it now, his dimpled smile not faltering. Alastor was trying to throw shade, yes, but that didn't phase him at all.

He looked over to the lights and gave a nod before starting to make his way towards them, a spring in his step as he gladly left his footwear behind. He had full intention of embracing his feet while he could. 

Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, Alastor followed alongside the other, looking back at Angels shoes and shaking his head, seeing that he'd left them. He'd probably regret that later. 

"And _how_ exactly did you die?"  
Alastor asked curiously, now that they seemed to be on the topic. He was surprised that he hadn't asked that one yet.  
"I'm presuming it's mundane, however I would like to know the story behind Angel Dust's demise."

Angel raised a brow, looking at the taller male next to him. Alastor taking interest in him was rather odd, but welcomed nonetheless.  
"The demise of Anthony Genovese is plain and simple. Drug overdose. Anyone could have guessed it even if they knew nothin' about me."  
He replied, deciding to give Alastor his true name. He didn't see any harm in it seeing as Angel Dust was just his porn name.  
He didn't know if Alastor was his real name, nor did he really care. It seemed to suit him and any other name would probably throw him off.

Alastor, now that he thought about it, should have guessed it was something along those lines. However, he was rather astonished over the fact that Angel had just told him his real name.  
"Anthony, hm? I presumed you were named Angel Dust by some cruel parents."  
He laughed, a hint of sarcasm in his words because of course, he didn't actually think that.  
"Either way, I'm not surprised. With the way you say yes to any sort of drugs that are thrown your way without any question, I'm honestly, really not surprised."  
Again, he was trying his best to throw shade, but Angel had most probably heard it all before. 

They walked a little further, eventually coming to a roadside that they were easily able to follow into what seemed to be a town of some sorts. New Orleans was their destination, and from what the signs were saying, they weren't exactly there yet. 

"Oh, no no no babe! Sure, my family kinda sucked all around but to give me a name like Anthony? Yeesh, can ya blame me for wantin' somethin' else? Nicknames like Annie, Tini, TinTin, and Tony will drive ya nuts."  
Angel laughed a bit, looking up at Alastor. It was definitely something he'd never get used to, looking up at someone other than Valentino. And Alastor's non-static voice was going to be something he'd miss too once they returned. 

"But, if they didn't do the shit they did, I'd be a very different person to what I am now, and I'm happy with how I turned out for the most part. As for the drugs, I'm sure if ya knew what my life was life you'd understand."  
He shrugged a bit, eyes forward again. As they took their first steps onto the road, Angel let out a shaky breath, feeling the cooled cement under his bare feet. It sent a shiver down his spine and caused him to grin, closing his eyes as he took in all the sensations. 

Alastor let out a hearty chuckle as Angel listed the possibilities of all the nicknames he'd been given in his life. "Yes, nicknames can be rather tiresome, can't they?" Glancing down at the other, he just smirked, taking a clever jab at all the times Angel had given him inappropriate nicknames. 

It wasn't uncommon for family to be the main source of many demons issues, especially for demons down in Hell.  
"I, myself, never saw the point in loosing touch with reality through the use of substances such as drugs. No no, it was definitely not for me."  
He began, raising an eyebrow at the road they had began to follow. It was rather quiet out. 

"Well, when your personal reality is worse than a bad trip, ya don't really care what ya do to get away so long as it works."  
Angel stated casually as he rolled the sleeves of his tucked white dress shirt up to his elbows.  
Shortly, he followed that by rolling his pant legs up to his knees before following after Alastor. Having so much covered felt odd to him so this was the best he could do to fix his discomfort.

Alastor quietly listened as the other spoke, and once Angel stopped to to fix and roll his clothing up a little, Alastor continued strolling on, it being a little weird walking without his microphone in his hand, but there was nothing he could do about that right now. 

Soon enough, Angel was caught up, the two of them continuing to walk beside each other as they increasingly inched closer to the brightening town lights, the sky darkening with every step they took. 

In total, it was around half an hour of walking later when they came to the edge of the town. Flashing colored lights framed many of the buildings, some in the shape of snowflakes, others of presents. To anyone else, it would have been clear what time of the year it was, but to Alastor? No. 

Angel tilted his head slightly, looking around as they came to the town, hands in his pockets. He gave a bit of a confused hum, raising a brow in question.  
"You know the date today? I dunno if this place is really lazy or if it's December."  
He asked as he looked around a bit more before glancing up at Alastor.

Alastor hummed a moment, silently counting on his now non pointed fingers.  
"Twenty five."  
He let out once he'd figured it out. At least down in Hell, there wasn't much use in tracking time, but with Lucifer's event on a specific date, Alastor had been keeping track as of late.  
"And yes, December, if I'm not mistaken." 

Continuing on, Alastor glanced into some of the windows of the buildings, most of them dark inside and showing no signs of life. 

Angel took another look around, giving a nod as they continued their trek. 

"So that's why it's so fuckin' dead around here. You forget what December 25th is? It's Christmas. Then again, bein' down where Christmas don't exist, I don't blame ya for not rememberin'."  
He'd forgotten where they were on the Earth, so naturally there wouldn't have been snow.  
Even in life, his family didn't celebrate Christmas much. He just got a lot of lonely suckers during this time looking for an ounce of love for just about any price.

Alastor paused a moment to think about it, his memory trying to recall. It had been well over eighty years since he'd even had a thought relating to Christmas, but nonetheless did seem to remember. 

"Ah yes...the holiday of giving. How very dull."  
And with that curt statement, Alastor continued to press on. If perhaps they could find a means of transport, then that would be excellent. However, with the annoyance of Christmas being today, Alastor wasn't so sure if that was going to happen. Then again, it was getting dark so the day would be over soon. 

Angel looked around as they walked, seeing how much things had changed in terms of cars and such seeing as he wasn't at all familiar with this place. He wandered over to a parked car on the side of the road, looking inside with a small, curious hum. It was so different to the cars back in the 40's.

"So uh... where'd you say we were and where we had to be again?"  
He asked, glancing back at Alastor, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Alastor too, found it a little jarring how everything had seemingly changed so much. Building structures, cars- the scenery especially. Everything looked a lot more barren. Less...something. He didn't know the exact word. 

"New Orleans."  
Alastor simply replied, moving over to the parked car that Angel had taken interest in. Or at least, Alastor assumed it was a car, it was nothing like what was down in Hell either.  
"It's Christmas, so I hardly doubt any public transportation is running. Walking is out of the option if we want to save time, therefore our best bet would be to use our own means of transport to get to where we need to be." 

Angel turned to Alastor, leaning on the car a bit.  
"Well, can ya use that neat magic stuff to teleport us? If not I'm sure I could figure somethin' out with one of these if that makes shit easier."  
Angel raised a brow, giving a small sniff. He assumed he'd be able to hotwire the vehicle, presuming things weren't insanely different from back in his day.

Alastor just shook his head, leaning against the side of the car. "No can do, my dear. I'm afraid that is rather risky business up here." He stated with a tut, looking back inside the car with narrowed eyes.  
"Do you think you can get this thing started up? I'm assuming you're the sort of person who would know how to steal a car. Of all people."  
He smiled, running a hand through his hair. God, it was so weird to have proper human ears again opposed to the deer ears he'd had for so long. 

Angel grinned deviously, taking in Alastor's new... or, old... features. That hair and those damn eyes. He was ready to fucking melt. 

"Shouldn't be too hard. Get in."  
He stated, pulling on the handle of the car and opening the drivers door. To their luck it was unlocked. Angel didn't waste any time in getting in, running his hands over the wheel before starting to get situated. He was pretty sure he could figure out how it worked, but it really was so different. So advanced. 

Alastor didn't notice Angel staring at him, he simply walked around to the passenger side of the car, ducking down a little as he got in, pleased that it was unlocked.  
"I'd say luck is on our side, my dear."  
He laughed, closing the door once he was in. 

It was awfully different inside to the cars back in his time. Everything was so...complicated. So many buttons, switches and a screen that would presumably turn on along with the car. Unbeknownst to Alastor, it was usefully an integrated GPS. 

Angel hummed, checked the ignition quickly before reaching over to the glove compartment and ruffling its contents around a bit. When there was nothing of use there, he flipped Alastor's visor down for a moment with a small hum. 

"Now, because this idiot didn't lock his doors, the likelihood of the keys being somewhere in here is pretty high.."  
He explained as he searched, flipping down his own visor, the keys falling into his lap.  
"Ehehe, well well, would ya look at that~"  
He chuckled, grabbing the keys and shoving them into the ignition, engine coming to life with a purr. 

Alastor just sat back in he chair, his seat being way too far forward for his height, knees up close to his chin. He wasn't sure how to adjust the seat, so just left it.  
He watched as Angel routed around, looking for some keys. And low and behold, the foolish human who owned the car had been stupid enough to leave the keys in here.  
"Haha, what luck! Certainly shows how the intelligence of the human race had progressed over the years, I'll say!" Alastor laughed, looking ahead once the engine was up and running. 

Angel looked over at Alastor, seeing how uncomfortable he must have been and gave a small laugh.  
"There's a little thing under the seat you can pull to adjust. Ya fuckin' giant."  
He reached under his own seat and showed him. He needed to adjust a bit anyways. The seatbelt was left discarded, it not being needed. 

"Now, this seems to be an automatic... uhhhh- sooo... break and this thing-?"  
Angel quickly narrated what he was doing as he tried to figure it out. He'd driven twice in his entire existence, so this would be an experience for them both alright.  
"And... lights?"  
He started flipping switches and leavers, activating the windshield wipers and blinkers until he found what he was looking for. He finally started working with the shift, putting it in drive.

Leaning forwards to look under his seat, Alastor did as Angel had just done, pushing the chair back so that he could actually stretch his legs out.  
Even when he was alive, Alastor never bothered to drive anywhere, he simply got a ride from someone else if it was out of walking distance. And that was still the case when he'd arrived down in Hell. 

He continued to watch on as Angel tried to figure out everything in the car. Soon enough though, they were moving. Alastor's eyes narrowed on the screen in the middle of the car, it showing their location.  
"I think that will tell us where we are going." He concluded, tapping the screen a couple times. 

Angel glanced at the device as he drove at a steady pace.  
"Oh shit! That'd be really helpful seein' as I'm drivin' without knowin' shit."  
He batted Alastor's hand away seeing as Alastor didn't use any sort of technology in Hell, starting to fiddle with the device.  
"Looks like we're in a place called Woodmere... sound familiar?"  
He asked as he started typing in their destination, a females automated voice chimed:  
"Head North on Paige Janette Drive toward Lynnbrook Drive." which caused Angel to jump a bit.

"Jesus Christ- okay, no. That's gunna drive me up the fuckin' wall."  
He started fiddling with the gadget to shut the voice off.

Sitting back in his chair, watching the screen that told them where they were, Alastor soon found himself watching out the window.  
"Woodmere?" He repeated, humming in thought a moment as he wracked his brain.  
"I do believe it's close. And with how fast this car is going, I'd say it's only a half hour away at most."  
He concluded with a nod, gaze wandering over to Angel as he drove back down the road they'd initially walked down to get into the town.

Angel glanced at Alastor and smirked.  
"Well, we only got a day so let's speed this up, shall we?"  
Without warning, the blonde smashed his foot down on the gas pedal, quickly increasing their speed with a hefty laugh, leaning forward in his seat.

Alastor just laughed too as Angel put his foot down, the car speeding up a hell of a lot smoother than any car from back in the thirties. It was Christmas, which meant that the roads were practically empty, leaving Angel free reign to drive as fast as he wanted. 

They drove across the state of Louisiana quickly, the tracking device helping them out immensely with directions. And soon enough, signs for New Orleans began popping up on the side of the road. 

Angel decided to slow down as he saw the sign for New Orleans.  
"So where exactly are we goin'? A house, I assume?"  
He asked with a hum, tapping the steering wheel with his fingers. This freedom was great and to see how much faster cars were these days was amazing to him. He glanced over at Alastor for a moment and then at the little GPS screen.

It had been a fair few decades since Alastor lived, of course, so the possibility of his house still being there was questionable. If it was there, for sure it would be occupied, however that certainly wasn't going to stop Alastor from getting what he wanted. 

"I had a small... place out in the woods."  
He began slowly, eyes darting over to Angels through the front mirror of the car.  
"A grand home it was, back in the day." 

"That ain't helpin' me get to it, babe. Put the address in or direct me. Guide me. I ain't from around here and even if I was I dunno where ya lived. I ain't psychic."  
Angel sighed, running a hand through his wavy blonde locks. The city was dead like everywhere else, unsurprisingly. And speaking of not being from around there, he had a small favor to ask Alastor when they finished their mission.

Rolling his eyes, Alastor leant across to the screen, taking his time as he inputted the address- one that he would never forget. Sure, it took him a while, but could you blame him? Modern technology would forever annoy and phase him. 

Once he'd inputted it, the GPS began to reroute itself, showing the quickest way to the address that Alastor had put in.

Angel looked at the screen and nodded, beginning to follow the directions and the route that had appeared. Whilst making their way, he decided to pry a bit. Pass the time. After all, Alastor couldn't make up an excuse not to say anything now. 

"So um...I know you've mentioned it before, and you said you weren't exactly friends when I last brought it up. But I'm still curious, I want to know. What...exactly _was_ your relationship with Lucifer?"


	18. House of Abandoned Memories

Angel was genuinely curious about what Alastor had meant by 'not exactly friends'. He presumed they were acquaintances or maybe even enemies. However, the more he thought about it...lovers would have made sense too. 

Alastor had been leaning his arm against the window of the car, fingers tapping a silent tune lightly against the glass. He paused though when Angel suddenly spoke up, asking a question that Alastor had most definitely not been expecting, nor had prepared for.  
Knowing that Angel wouldn't settle without an answer, Alastor simply went over what he'd told the spider once before. Because hey, at least it was something. Besides, he didn't see how his past with Lucifer had anything to do with what was happening right now. 

"You are correct. We weren't exactly friends." The demon spoke curtly and quickly, not quite sure what Angel wanted to hear and why he wanted to hear it other than to pry. "And like I said before, it was a long time ago." 

At the rather lacklustre reply, Angel huffed, glancing back over at Alastor with a shake of his head.  
"Hey hey hey, that answer ain't flyin' with me this time, buddy."  
"If I'm gunna be helpin' ya I wanna know a few more details- including this. I told ya some of my past so I wanna know some of yours. It's only fair."  
And oh was Angel not going to give up so easily. He figured this was a fair trade. It wasn't like he was going to go telling anyone anyways. 

Alastors eyes narrowed a little more, brows furrowing in the slightest as he heard Angels response. Of course he would say that.  
He wasn't necessarily happy about this, but he supposed that Angel did have a point. An eye for an eye- information in exchange for more information.  
"Alright, my dear, but just this once..."

Leaning away from the window, Alastor sat back a little more in the seat, tracing his wandering gaze across the now dark horizon, the scenery flying by.  
"When I first manifested down in Hell, I possessed a raw power that had never been seen before by a mortal soul, as I'm sure you know." He began, starting with the basic information seen as Angel had been so unknowledgeable when they first met. 

Angel adjusted in his seat, ready to listen as he continued their drive. He made sure not to speak as Alastor explained his reasoning and past with Lucifer. He was a bit surprised at first, but the more Alastor explained the more it all made sense. The pieces seemed to fit with his personality seamlessly. 

"Needless to say, from the moment that I challenged even some of the oldest overlords down there and broadcast a few of my victories, word of my presence began to spread like a dangerous wildfire." Alastor spoke very highly of himself, for sure, but every word he spoke was true. He had an ego for a reason, of course.  
"There was one. One demon who, for centuries had not been challenged. No one dared to. And as you can probably guess, that demon was the Devil himself. After learning of my sudden power in taking down overlords, it seemed that Lucifer was suddenly interested in me. He knew that I would not hold back and for that reason, he saw me as a threat."

And this was, Alastor supposed, where things got interesting.  
"After making my acquaintance one day, seemingly by chance, we became close. _Very_ close. Of course, at the time I had my own ulterior motives for doing so. Because, my dear, I am not an uncivilised man. If I do something, it is with reason! And those reasons were simple. I wanted to know more about the Devil himself. Things that not even his closest allies could tell me. His fears, hopes and thoughts...weaknesses." 

Clearing his throat a moment, Alastor closed his eyes, remembering all of this well.  
"From what I could see, it seemed as if Lucifer had the exact same plans regarding myself.  
Threats to Satan directly didn't come about often. It was almost like a silent game between us, however no end goal or even rules were ever spoken of. We knew what we each wanted, and we would both do whatever it took to grab and shoot for those goals.  
After spending a great deal of time together, as you can imagine, after a while things between us became...intimate. They _had_ to. One spills the worlds secrets while under an unknown false sense of security." 

Angels brows raised merely at thought of Alastor getting intimate with literally anyone. It was a bit hard to imagine, but still a hot and steamy thought. Of course, after that, Angel's mind started to immediately wander to whether Alastor was the top or the bottom? How would he have even acted when doing the Devils Tango with the Devil himself?

Alastor remembered it all so well- however they were a collection of past memories he'd rather not think about.  
"For a long while, the game continued and I soon realised I was getting nowhere with him, and he was getting nowhere with me. It all turned so mundane and dull. Hardly a thrill at all, and that was such a shame. It truly was.  
I was growing bored with him, and that's when I first had the idea. The idea that started all of this-" Raising and waving his hand, Alastor gestured to the both of them, referring to his plans, the reason they were up here on Earth in the first place. 

"At first, I thought myself crazy just to be even thinking about the possibility of killing Lucifer. My intentions had always been to gain information that could simply be used as a deterrent of sorts. The most I had even thought to do, was challenge him. But then, such _entertaining_ thoughts of bringing Hell into chaos began to flood my brain. If I could rid those disgusting, _filthy_ demons of their God- deprive them of their Satan and take his place in the process! Steal his throne and throw the crown right back in his face! Then that would be the purest kind of entertainment..."  
By this point, Alastors face had twisted up into an unnatural, almost painful looking smile. With those human features, it looked disproportionate in every way possible. 

A shiver ran down Angels spine as he watched Alastor from the corner of his eye, still keeping his gaze on the road. He quickly was brought out of his thoughts, gripping the wheel tightly before letting out a shaky breath.  
"Geez. Not exactly what I was expecting. I was thinking you two were enemies or somethin'."  
He admitted, reeling back from his previous thoughts completely. 

There was a moment of silence after Alastor finished up, his eyes opening to trail back upon the darkened outside again.  
"Haha, I suppose your thoughts are somewhat correct." He snickered a laugh, pushing up his glasses.  
"Not too long after the game started to lack passion, Lucifer made his first mistake. He tried to erase me. And, my dear, as I'm sure you know. So far that hasn't worked for _anyone_." Feeling his ego inflate even as he thought about that, Alastor simply chuckled. 

"It was a mutual agreement between the two of us to never speak of the events between us- let alone challenge each other like that again. Two devils clashed and had proved to be too much for each other. But now I'm bored once more. Oh _Angel_ , Hell has become so dull. And my promise to Lucifer? Well, as far as I'm concerned, truces can't last forever, no matter who the promise was made to..." 

With a small shrug and a nod, Angel pressed his lips together, glancing down to the GPS. They had almost arrived at the place Alastor had supposedly called home.  
"Well, glad I could play a part in your master plan then...even if it is a small role. I know I ain't got much to offer, so bein' useful to someone without havin' to strip down is a nice change, I will say."  
Angel wasn't really sure what to say at this point, so he just said what came to mind. 

Alastor just nodded, keeping quiet as he silently reminisced the memories that had involuntarily resurfaced.  
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, his attention was then at the screen once again, a small red dot appearing on the map not too far away. 

It was almost pitch black outside, so Alastor couldn't see where they were. He could only make out the silhouette of many tall trees around them. That made sense though, since his home was located in a wooded area- perfect for hunting as was done a lot back in the day.  
"I suppose we're almost here." 

Angel gave a nod, glancing at the screen once again. There was a moments silence before the blonde dared to speak.  
"Hey, Alastor...?"  
Pulling up on the side of the road supposedly outside their destination, Angel turned to Alastor.  
"Thanks for telling me. It ain't easy, I know. But the shit ya tell me won't be told to anyone else. Ain't anyone's business."  
And with that said, he cut the engine, looking out the window. 

Once the car stopped, all was silence except for Angels voice. "I know." Alastor just replied in his usual tone, pushing open the car door and stepping out onto the grassy, dirt floor. His eyes closed for a brief moment as he faced away from the car, knowing that Angel couldn't see him he took a step forward. And for a moment, Alastor simply took in the scent around him. The trees and the nature. Everything. It had been too long. 

"Alright, lets get this show on the road, my dear!" Abruptly clapping his hands together, seemingly having perked up a bit, Alastor made his way over to the other, grabbing him and pointing to a less dense area of trees just a little further in. "Just up ahead, if I'm not mistaken!" 

Angel looked around as he stepped out of the car, his eyes not being the same as a spiders anymore. It was almost scary how the dark was through a humans eyes. It was quiet. The gentle wind running through the trees and crickets could just about be heard though. He jumped a bit when he was grabbed, barely being able to see Alastor.  
"Hang on a moment. I wanna see if this idiot has anything."  
Moving over to the trunk of the car and popping it open, Angel grinned, finding exactly what he was looking for. A flashlight. 

He turned it on and kept it shining on the ground as he followed Alastor, shining the light at the house briefly. It was old and looked like it hadn't been lived in for a really _really_ long time. 

Standing back as Angel searched the trunk, Alastor was mildly surprised there was actually anything useful inside.  
Nonetheless, he was grateful. 

As they walked towards the rugged looking home though, Alastor noticed something in the torchlight, shining ahead of them. Their shadows loomed like monsters. In fact, worse than monsters. Their shadows still took the forms of their demons. A nice touch though, Alastor would admit. 

Eventually, they came to what looked to be the entrance of the home. Shrubbery, roof tiles and vines covered the outside walls and all the glass from the windows had been broken most likely from weather conditions over the decades. It was an abandoned wreck, yet, the air around it felt so ominous. So cold. It made you want to hold your breath in wait for...something. 

Angel didn't notice the detail of the shadows, having been so used to seeing them like that everyday anyways. He followed close behind the taller man, looking around into the darkness that surrounded them as well as taking in the details of Alastor's previous home.  
"Looks like it was a nice place back in the day."  
He stated under his breath. 

In this distance, as if to match the eerie atmosphere, a low and almost inaudible rumble sounded out, the trees surrounding them swishing louder in the sudden breeze that picked up. A storm was approaching. Whether it would hit or just pass over though couldn't be determined just yet. 

Alastor stopped once he came to what had once been a front entrance. There was a door, but it wasn't the original, and was half hanging off it's hinges. Nails and panels of cheap wood were holding it up, clearing having been initially used to block it from being entered.  
"Yes...it was." He replied quietly in response to Angels statement, focus clearly elsewhere then any questions that could be thrown his way. 

Stepping back from the door a moment, Alastor scanned the right side of the house, eventually concluding that their best bet would be in through the clear window. The door hadn't been used in a while, and could cause problems if it was suddenly pushed open. 

Presuming that Angel was following behind, Alastor walked over to the window, stepping out the way of a few bushes, shoving them aside before he was able to easily climb in, there being a ledge for him to climb onto inside- a kitchen countertop. 

Angel stayed silent after that, noticing that Alastor was focused on something else. He kept the light where he figured Alastor would need it, following him wherever he decided to go. He didn't bother asking questions- verbally or in his mind. Angel knew there was always a reason Alastor did something. 

The blonde watched quietly as Alastor climbed in through the window, keeping the light where he needed it. Once he was in, Angel put the flashlight in his mouth so he could use both hands to climb in. Being shorter than Alastor it wasn't quite as easy but he managed. 

Brushing some of the broken glass out the way so Angel didn't catch himself on it, Alastor jumped down onto the floor, amazed that some of the floorboards were still intact, although mossy and green. 

"Oh it's such a shame no one bothered to maintain this place. Or at least live in it." Alastor suddenly sighed, hearing the fluttering of wings and a hoot of a pigeon most likely living in the eroded ceiling beams.  
Once Angel was in, Alastor let him shine the light ahead so that they didn't fall into any holes in the floor or anything. 

"My belongings were hidden. I made sure of that the first time I returned here after my death, years ago." He explained, leading Angel throughout the house. "Anything that I didn't have time to bring back down to Hell, was left here. I can only hope that nothing has been damaged by the damp." 

Angel crawled in through the window and sat on the counter, taking the flashlight out of his mouth and starting to shine it around the kitchen. It looked as if it had been a really nice place to live and seemed to be a shame that it had gone to waste. 

Hopping off of the counter, the floor was damp and cold on his feet, sending a shiver through Angels body like a tidal wave with an audible shudder. Stepping lightly as a result of the cold floor, he continued to follow behind Alastor, looking around.  
"Is there a reason no one's touched it in so long?" Angel asked, figuring there'd at least be a reason behind it. Homes like this weren't just abandoned for no reason. 

Alastor walked around and into what used to be the longe, laughing under his breath at what he saw. Pictures still up in their frames. It really had been completely abandoned, and Alastor figured he had some sort of idea why.  
"Perhaps..." he began, slowly striding over to the picture frames. The glass on some of them were cracked, some of the frames blank, but for the most part, they were completely untouched. 

"During my time, especially here, many of the people were awfully superstitious. Heavily religious folk if I do say so myself." He started, picking up one of the pictures and staring at it a moment before passing it over to Angel. It was a family portrait from when Alastor was very young, early teens at most.  
"People knew that I kept myself to myself, which apparently was odd enough. Not to mention the librarian, awful fellow, used to run his mouth to the entire town, ranting about the 'awful' books I used to take out. He thought I didn't notice, but only an idiot wouldn't have been able to hear his insufferably loud voice." Taking a moment to scoff, rolling his eyes, Alastor quickly returned to what he was saying.  
"Needless to say, when I died and some parts of the bodies were unearthed, I'd say that the people around here at the time were immediately terrified. And if my theories are correct...I'd say they labelled this house as being cursed. No one has touched it since, being far too superstitious and terrified, and rightly so." 

Angel took the framed photo and shone the light on it so he could see the full image, then at the other frames, then back to Alastor. He stayed silent, taking in all of the information and pieces the hints together.  
"Religious as in... cult stuff?" 

Alastor just laughed a little, dusting his hands off.  
"Not necessarily, my dear. Catholicism was heavily integrated within the society here. So I suppose when people began to notice my interest in books relating to voodoo and Satanism, well, haha you can imagine what they thought of me!" 

When he was alive, of course no one knew he was a serial murderer. The bodies, like he said, weren't found until after he was dead. 

Angel just gave a nervous laugh, setting the frame down carefully.  
"Eh heh... yeah. I guess it would make sense. Back then that stuff was some scary shit to mess around with. Even now, I guess."  
He shrugged a bit, getting a better look at the other photos that were still on the wall. 

He really shouldn't have been surprised by any of this. Stuff like that during life would definitely earn you a comfy spot in the higher ranks of Hell. There was obviously more that Alastor wasn't saying but that was fine. Angel had a damn good idea of the kinds of things Alastor did to get to where he was now. 

Glancing at the pictures once again, Alastor couldn't help but grin at one more. Again, it was of him as a young man, however he stood inside what looked to be a recording room of some sorts. It was back when he got a job as a radio show host in the city- truly the prime of his life.  
"Well, we must press on, my dear. What I need will be down in the basement. Let's hope it's still accessible." 

Angel gave a nod, looking at the picture Alastor was focused on in that moment. It made sense.  
"Lead the way, hot stuff."  
Angel said with barely a moment to finish his sentence before another low rumble from the sky erupted, much more present and apparent from the first barely noticeable roll of thunder. There was yet to be any lightning, but it still almost unsettled Angel. Scared him. He had never liked storms or any sort of sudden noises for that matter. And unfortunately for him, the storm sounded like it was approaching quickly. That much he could sense for sure. It took everything within him to keep a calm exterior. 

Letting the comment slide, Alastor continued through the house, and this time he did hear the low rumble from the sky. "How ominous." Alastor pointed out, not one to care about storms. In fact, he liked them.  
"It's here..." Just by the foot of the inaccessible stairs leading up, there was a small cellar type of door in the floor. The handles were metal, therefore hadn't eroded and the wood around the door didn't seem to be too damp either. 

Reaching down, Alastor pulled upon the handles, dust and dirt flying up into the air as he opened it with slight difficulty, an old and unpleasant musky smell drifting up from the basement once it was open. "Shine the torch down for me, Angel. The stairs should be okay to use." He coughed a little, dusting off his hands. 

Angel did as he was told, holding the light in a way that would allow Alastor to see even as he made his way down.  
"Let's hurry this up.. I don't wanna have to hang around when the storm to happens.."  
Angel said quickly, scratching his arm as he looked out of one of the boarded windows. 

"I suppose you're not keen on storms, hm?" Alastor asked as he began to walk down the stairs, treading lightly so that if the wooden stairs were weak, they wouldn't collapse. 

The basement was a simple square shape, low ceilings and no natural light. One of the side walls was damp, but aside from that, the brickwork of the rest of the structure was absolutely fine.  
Inside, there were a few bookshelves and at the back, a long table- one large enough to lay on. Around the table were a few stacks of cabinets, mainly empty. 

Making it to the bottom of the stairs in no time, he waited until Angel was beside him, shining the light on everything that was down here. Glancing across the room, Alastors eyes soon settled on something of use. Walking over to it, he picked it up and held it in the air. A gas lamp. Of course, it wouldn't have worked normally anymore, but Alastor had a few tricks up his sleeve. It was with a snap of his fingers that the lamp came to life, a fire burning in the middle. He hoped that something as simple as creating a flame wouldn't put them in danger of being found.

"I find storms rather fascinating." Alastor hummed, moving over to the dusty old bookshelves, searching with focus for the one thing he needed and any other items that would be of use. 

The room became a little clearer now with two sources of light, books lining shelves as well as many newspaper clippings and letters hanging with string on one of the walls. If you read them and Alastors notes carefully, then the whole thing would absolutely scream serial murderer no doubt. 

"Storms? Not really... dunno what it is about 'em. Just don't like 'em.."  
With the two sources of light now, Angel figured he was free to roam a bit. He made sure to be careful with where he stepped just in case there were things he could trip or step on.  
It was only now that he was starting to have second thoughts about leaving his shoes behind, but it didn't matter too much, he supposed. It was too late for to go back for them and they weren't sticking around for much longer anyways.  
"Hey, uh, Al? After this, if there's time... I was wondering if we'd be able to do something before we go back.."

It didn't take Alastor long to find the book, including the page, that he needed. He remembered the placement of all the books here, and like the rest of the house, nothing had been touched since he'd died. "Perfect..." he muttered, finger trailing over the words of the book before he shut it loudly, dust flying up into the air again.  
He was about to move away from the remaining useless books when something caught his eye. So much so, that he almost didn't hear Angels question. Glancing over his shoulder at the other, Alastor nodded. "Why, I should think so. This has fortunately taken as little time as possible."

Angel stayed just off to the side of Alastor, looking at some of the other things from that distance. He started humming to himself quietly to try to stay calm. The low rumbling from outside was growing more frequent. 

He could tell Alastor found what he was looking for in terms of the book or whatever it was he needed. However, he could also tell by the slight delay and tone in his voice that he'd found something _else_ that seemed to be of interest. Something that perhaps could help them with their plan?  
"Whatcha find?" He asked with a raised brow, hands settling across his chest. 

Alastor would have asked Angel what the thing was that he wanted to do after this, but alas, his attention had been grabbed by a small set of books laying neatly on the shelf.  
The Radio Demons expression showed slight fondness for a brief moment as he took one of the small dark blue, leather covered books in hand, opening it to the first page. 

No, it wasn't anything that could be of use to them currently, but it did make Alastor wonder why he hadn't taken them back a while ago.  
"Just something I thought I'd brought back with me a while ago. Sentimental valuables if you will." 

Pushing his glasses up his nose, Alastor read through the front page. In neat cursive writing, was written: 

_'The journals belonging to Edward Alastor Bouchère'_

Angel's interest piqued, taking a few steps closer so he was just behind Alastor, peering over his shoulder at the book.  
"What is it?"  
In that moment, a loud clap of thunder sounded, seemingly shaking the structure above them. Angel immediately jumped out of his skin, having to bite his tongue to keep himself from shrieking.  
"Y'know what- grab it and let's go, c'mon! We can reminisce later!" 

Alastor would have laughed at Angels sudden fear of the lightning, however he was more annoyed over the fact that the other had interrupted him. Although he was right. Who knew what could happen to his already falling apart building if a storm were to hit it now.  
"Fine. We shall head to the car." Alastor nodded, scooping up the books and carrying them back up the basement stairs with haste.

Angel quickly but carefully made his way up the stairs, not wasting any time. If there wasn't a storm, he would have wanted to explore the place a bit more. But now that Alastor had everything, he wanted out. He didn't even get a chance to read any of the writing in the book Alastor was holding. 

He might have looked stupid, but he could have cared less. Jogging on the spot, waiting for Alastor at the top of the stairs, Angel found himself muttering 'c'mon' quickly over and over. He didn't want to go out by himself, ending up alone because Alastor had found something else to look at.

Once at the top of the stairs, Alastor lead the way out towards the window in the kitchen they'd come in from. Now that he knew there was still some stuff here he wanted to bring back, Alastor decided there was definitely going to be another time he came back.  
But for now? They were leaving. Hoisting himself out the window, Alastor tutted in annoyance at the rain he suddenly felt upon him, the raindrops sticking to his clothing. Making sure the books were carefully hidden and covered on the inside of his jacket, Alastor turned to make sure Angel was out. 

Angel practically threw himself out the window, flying out of the house as he tumbled to the wet ground. Laying on the floor, his clothes quickly became muddy and wet, now clinging grossly to his skin. Regardless, the now smaller blonde male scrambled to his feet and started running back to the car. It wouldn't make him feel any safer but it was better than being in the rain, lightning now flashing through the sky with only a few seconds before the roar of thunder followed. He grabbed the keys from his pocket and launched himself towards the car. Of course there had to be a fucking storm the _one_ day they visited Earth. 

Alastor watched in amusement as Angel made a run for the car, the Radio Demon simply laughing as he slowly made his way over to the car, getting in the passenger side and closing the door behind him.  
"Where did you want to go." He slowly hummed in question, taking the books out his jacket and placing them on the dashboard, making sure they weren't wet at all.  
Looking across to Angel, Alastor raised a brow in curiosity at the expression of fear that encased his fair features. "My my, you do look terrified. Yes indeed!" 

Angel jumped into the car, now a shaking mess and tears threatening his eyes. He shut the flashlight off and tossed it in the backseat.  
"T-Two things actually. One being really f-far fetched and the o-other unlikely because of t-this..."  
Still managing to answer Alastor, he gestured to the storm, hugging himself as he shook in the seat.  
"If we can't it's f-fine." 

Alastor sat in silence as he continued to look over the other, the sounds of the slowly worsening storm outside clearly not helping Angels distressed state.  
"Well, I won't know until you tell me, my dear!" He exclaimed, a little quieter now. 

There was another moments silence before Alastor spoke up once again, thinking over his words. He never did this, but the thought of Angel crying pathetically over a storm, it made Alastor certainly feel something. Most probably annoyance. Probably. 

"Listen, Angel. We have what we initially came here for, so everything else we do won't matter. Our goal has already been achieved." He began slowly, trying to make eye contact with the blonde. "It is still risky, but it won't matter if we do get 'found out'. So, if this storm is really bothering you so much so that you can't even focus, then I don't think it is a good idea for us to be here anymore. I can teleport us elsewhere." 

Angel did his best to steady his breathing, looking over at Alastor for a moment. 

"I-I was wondering if m-maybe we could go to N-New York.. it's probably a fucking stupid i-idea because there's definitely gunna be snow b-but that's really all I want. See t-time square again. My other request, I know you wouldn't have been f-fond of anyways."  
He started rambling again as a way of distracting himself. A flash of lighting made him curl up a bit in anticipation of thunder, the tears finally streaming down his muddy face. The thunder that did come was only a small, low rumble that took about 20 seconds to sound, the storm seeming to be moving away. The rain was still very much there, tapping against the car's exterior. 

Pursing his lips together, Alastor reached out, awkwardly patting Angels shoulder. Even if the storm did pass, Angel was in no fit state to drive. His clothes were all dirty and wet, clinging to his skin, not to mention he didn't have his shoes after his decision to leave them back where they'd come up from Hell. 

Quickly pulling his hand away, Alastor sighed.  
"We shall go to New York then. I must admit, it had always been an ambition of mine to go there. I suspect it's changed quite drastically over the years." 

But now that Angel had brought it up, Alastor was curious. "And what exactly might have been your other request?"


	19. A Moonlit Dance

With the thunder not as aggressive now, Angel seemed to relax a bit. Alastor's comforting gesture helped a bit too. He knew he wasn't one for comforting or acting like he cared, so even if it was obviously awkward for him it was a nice gesture and Angel deeply appreciated it.  
He rubbed at his eyes slightly and sniffed, making sure he wiped some of the mud away from his cheek.

"Well... because it's warm here I was thinking maybe we could have a quick dance on a beach? Heard this place had some really nice ones.."  
The spider's stutter had subsided drastically and his shaking wasn't nearly as bad by this point. His tone wasn't as frantic either and for now, seemed pretty calm as he told his request to the Radio Demon. 

When he'd heard Angels request, Alastor grinned, the emotion behind it hidden.   
"Alright then." Was all he said for now.   
While they were here at least, Alastor was more than okay with having at least some entertainment. After all, they wouldn't be returning to the living world any time soon, so why not make it count? And after finding out that yes, Angel was a rather decent dancer, Alastor had no objections. 

"Why, that's a wonderful idea, my dear! Only, I think you probably know that we are in the middle of a mild storm, hm?"  
Of course, Alastor could take them elsewhere, but there was one beach in particular quite nearby that Alastor was rather fond of.

Angel shrugged a bit, looking out his window, the lightning and thunder seeming to be quickly retreating. It seemed to have only been a quick storm that soon passed by.  
"Rain ain't bad. The storm itself is leaving by the looks of it."  
The spider felt pretty pathetic, letting Alastor see that he was afraid of storms to the point of sobbing like the bitch he was. His fear wasn't as bad when he had someone to hold him and comfort him, but that scenario was in the negative percentage here. He knew Alastor thought he was pathetic before, but now he knew that knowledge was amplified all the more.   
Placing the keys in the ignition and turning the car on, Angel made sure he looked over to the time, as well as the fuel gauge. They were almost on empty, however it didn't matter too much. 

Alastor too checked the time once it was settled where their next destination was going to be. It was almost midnight, so they still had over half a day left before they'd have to be heading back. That gave them time at least. 

"The coast isn't far."   
Alastor spoke up, grabbing one of the journals he'd brought back from his home and beginning to flick through.   
"Twenty minutes or so."  
Glancing across to Angel briefly, Alastor looked him up and down once more, frowning in the slightest.   
"Your clothes are all dirty. Not to mention, hardly appropriate for the most likely snow ridden New York. You will freeze."

Angel gave a small nod then looked at Alastor, a small smirk pulling at his lips. He started having an internal debate with himself on whether or not to tease Alastor about his 'concern' for his well being, but quickly decided against it, not wanting to jeopardize his chance at their dance. Instead he looked out at the road.   
"We don't _have_ to go to New York. One of the two options will do just fine. We can just dance the rest of the night away."  
He shrugged, looking at Alastor again.  
"Directions would be great though."  
He stated, not wanting to drive aimlessly and waste gas.

Placing the book to the side, Alastor leant forwards in the car seat. Of course, he didn't know the address of the beach, but he did know the name of it- presuming that it hadn't been renamed.  
"Whatever you'd like, my good fellow. I have already gained what I desire, and there is still time to waste. Do as you please."

Once he'd inputted the name of the beach, Alastor sat back again, continuing to flick through the pages of words that had long been forgotten about, left to rot in an abandoned basement of a cursed home. 

Angel looked at the screen and started driving as directed. He could only hope they had enough gas for the trip. There were still small streaks of lightning that licked the sky every once in a while followed by small rumbles of thunder in the distance. He glanced over at Alastor, seeing the book.  
"Oh yeah, what is that anyways? My little um... ahem- freak out didn't give ya the chance to answer."

Alastor wasn't paying attention to the slowly quietening rumbling of thunder and the occasional lightening cracks, too engrossed in his book.  
"Oh, yes. It was a journal. I have a collection I wrote over the years." He explained quietly. "There's all sorts in here. Very nostalgic."  
Setting the first one down, Alastor picked up the second, it beginning in the same way, his name written out on the first page.

"Read it to me?" 

Angel asked, now curious as to what Alastor had written about. He wasn't required to read anything out loud, hence why he made it a question. It was either Alastor read or Angel was going to put the radio on, and knowing Alastor, the music these days was just horny noise to him. He wasn't wrong either. The music produced these days was pretty weird and always had some sort of reference to either love, drugs, or money- if not all of the above.

Alastor paused for a moment, flicking ahead a little to check before nodding, half forgetting that with Angel's eyes on the road, he couldn't see it.   
Turning the pages to the front, Alastor began again.   
"The journals belonging to Edward Alastor Bouchère..."   
He spoke the surname with a slight accent, flicking the page over and adjusting his glasses. He wasn't used to wearing them, having been using a monocle for so long. 

"August twenty-second, nineteen twenty three..." from there, the majority of Alastor's words were spoken in French, as was written in the journals. 

Angel was taken aback as Alastor read, having not an ounce of knowledge that he was able to speak French or that, given the surname, he was at least somewhat French. He waited for a pause in Alastor's speech. 

Alastor read on for about a page for so, and unbeknownst to Angel, he was speaking about his mother- bless her poor soul.

"Oh, parli francese? Non sapevo. Molto attraente~"  
Angel smirked, replying in Italian. Only hoping to everything unholy that he didn't speak Italian too. Even then he only said 'Oh, you speak French? I didn't know. Very attractive.' so it wasn't that bad, but still. If he could get away with speaking to Alastor in Italian he was absolutely going to do so.

Alastor took a pause, brow raising as Angel spoke up in what he assumed to be Italian. Luckily for the spider, he didn't speak it, so Alastor in fact didn't know exactly what he'd said, however by Angel's tone and the smirk that followed, Alastor was sure he probably didn't want to hear it. 

"I should learn it, just to surprise you one day. Scare you to death when I figure out exactly what the most likely crude things you're saying to me."   
Alastor chuckled, stretching his legs out as best he could. 

Angel let out a small laugh, deciding to continue just to agitate him a bit more, keeping the seductive tone to his words.   
"Dai, non ti dico niente di troppo brutto~ Lo dirò in un tono davvero seducente per buttarti via~"   
He only said what he planned to do, which was to continue speaking to him in Italian, saying nothing too bad and continuing on with the seductive tone just to throw Alastor off. If Alastor ever really did learn Italian, he'd be impressed. But the French. Holy shit, the _French_. The sexiest language. Was there honestly anything about Alastor that didn't turn Angel on? Probably not. 

And of course Angel Dust continued. Alastor almost didn't expect any less.  
Rolling his eyes, Alastor turned to Angel, deciding to reply and see how he liked it. Maybe then, he'd actually be quiet, even if he had no idea what Alastor was even saying.

"Continuez à parler et je n'hésiterai pas à vous éviscérer de la manière la plus divertissante avant d'envoyer votre sale cadavre dans le vide pour l'éternité."   
Alastor decided to throw Angel off with his words too, making his tone charming, however the meaning was quite the opposite. Threatening to gut the spider and send his pieces into the void was something that Alastor truly wouldn't hesitate in doing. 

Angel was able to pick up on the minor words like 'talking' and such but that was about it, having had a few French lessons in the past- but he never retained much of the information. Even so, he couldn't help but shiver and grin. 

"Woo, tell me more~"  
Angel purred, glancing at Alastor. The charming tone really did the trick. He looked at the screen again, keeping the grin before glancing to the road again.

Alastor just rolled his eyes, however he did find it awfully amusing how the other presumed that someone like Alastor, would be wooing Angel.  
Still, seen as Angel had no idea what he'd just threatened him with, why not continue? It was certainly entertaining for Alastor and wasn't like he had anything better to do right now.

Leaning forwards in his seat a little, Alastor grinned menacingly.  
"Et quand vous serez hors du chemin, je prendrai votre cochon et le boucher aussi. oh quel délicieux repas cet animal fera..."  
Still keeping up the charming tone, it almost bordering suggestive, Alastor just smirked, laughing quietly to himself.

Angel glanced at Alastor again as he adjusted his position, listening to the words he spoke. The words and tone almost made Angel melt into a puddle, gripping the wheel tighter as his grin grew.   
"Oh yeah? Then what are ya gunna do?~" 

Angel didn't care what Alastor was saying at this point, the tone in itself was more than enough for him to fantasize about later. They were getting close to their destination which kind of sucked seeing as Angel was thoroughly enjoying this, but on the other hand, he'd be in the arms of this tall handsome man- so really he had no room to complain. 

Alastor paused a moment to glance out the front of the car where he could see what was outside thanks to the headlights. They were close, so he decided he would wrap this up. 

Leaning forwards a little more, Alastor softly spoke one last sentence, almost right up in Angel's ear.  
"J'apprécierai le goût rare de votre cochon en enfer... which translates to, I shall appreciate the rare taste of your pig in Hell."  
Smiling smugly, Alastor pulled back, crossing a leg over the other as he glanced down at the GPS.

Angel's breath hitched and his eyes widened slightly at the closeness, Alastor's breath making him almost die a second time over. His nose scrunching as he fought to keep himself in check.   
It took him a moment to process the last bit, comprehending that Alastor had used English and realize he was referring to his pet pig.  
Angel slammed his foot down on the break suddenly, causing the car to come to an abrupt stop.  
"EXCUSE ME?!"

Alastor could only laugh loudly as he heard Angel exclaim in shock, the car jolting forwards as it came to a stop.  
"Ha ha, be careful what you wish for, my dear!"   
He almost cackled, clapping Angel on the shoulder in amusement.

Calming down a little, Alastor looked to the GPS once more, noticing that they were practically there already. They could walk the rest of the way if they wished. 

Angel glared at Alastor, his grin replaced with a scowl now.  
"You fuckin' prick..."  
He muttered, turning his attention back to the road as he started to drive again. The rain had come to a light drizzle during their drive, which wasn't terrible. Angel drove the rest of the way and parked the car, shutting it off. They wouldn't be able to use the car again, now being on empty in terms of fuel. Not that it mattered though. 

He folded his only set of arms over his chest with a huff, not getting out yet as he stared out at the body of water in the near distance from where they were now parked. 

Alastor's laughter had dulled down to a quiet chuckle once Angel began to drive again.   
It didn't take them long at all to reach the end of the road, where the shore started. 

Once parked up, Alastor looked to Angel.   
"Let's go."   
Was all he said as opened the door, stepping out into the light rain. At least it was warm.  
His attention was slowly drawn to the dark water ahead of them, illuminated by the moon from a break in the clouds. A sight for sore eyes, that was for sure. Almost a hundred years without, it was impossible not to have missed a sight like this. The sea and the moon.

Angel took a breath, getting out of the car as well. He moved to stand in front of the vehicle, looking out at the breathtaking sight. His mind had easily gone from being a bit peeved at Alastor for threatening his pet, to how lucky he was in this moment to witness such a beautiful evening with someone he cared about. 

He.... cared.... about..... 

Angel blinked a few times and started walking towards the shoreline, not bothering to check to see if Alastor was following or not. It was truly amazing. The feeling of the dampened sand on his feet and the light rain just made it all the more real. 

This was something he would never forget. 

Alastor ran a hand through his hair, taking off his glasses and neatly folding them away in his pocket as he took in the sight of the water. Most things were so ugly and twisted down in Hell that Alastor really had forgotten... 

Glancing across to Angel as he watched him moving towards the shore, Alastor slowly followed behind.  
"Fascinating... isn't it."   
He eventually spoke up, moving to stand beside the shorter.

Angel gave a small nod, his green eyes glistening with wonder in the moonlight. The sound of the waves rolling to shore filling the air as the gentle breeze ran through his blonde, dampened locks of wavy hair. They never had anything like this in New York. The city lights always obstructed the sky. 

"It's amazing..."  
He stated softly, barely above a whisper.

Alastor stood, hands resting at his sides, gaze wandering over to Angel. He still looked a complete mess, clothes all crumpled and muddy, hair all messy, but there was something else. Something that Alastor didn't care to admit- and wouldn't. _Ever._  
"I only saw the sea like this a couple times during my life."   
Alastor slowly added, moving his gaze now up to the moon. 

"Hah, a couple times more than me then. New York never got anything like this. Too many lights ruinin' it.."  
Angel replied, shifting his gaze to Alastor for a brief moment. His chocolate hair seemed to have a bit of a shine to it in this light. He also noticed he'd taken his glasses off. Quickly, Angel brought his attention back the the view, taking a deep breath of the salty ocean air as his eyes closed and let his chest deeply rise and fall. 

Alastor found himself staring at the moon and the water for a couple moments more before glancing down at the sand on the ground.  
The sand, it wasn't that of a tropical beach with the smoothest, whitest sand- there were many rocks, but that was okay.

"Now...I do believe you wanted a dance, hm?"   
Alastor soon spoke up, looking back over to Angel. 

Angel's eyes opened again and his head turned to Alastor.  
"Oh, right! Of course..."  
He gave a small smile, those dimples of his showing up again.  
"It'll be easier for you to lead now that I'm not so tall, huh?"  
He chuckled lightly to himself, turning fully to Alastor. This dance would be much better seeing as they had the entire beach to themselves, no crowded basement club to worry about, though there was no music. That was probably the only con to it.

Alastor huffed a laugh at that, nodding.   
"Yes, it will be easier for me to lead now. Plus I won't have to be worried that your boots will crunch my feet."   
He added smugly, noticing the dimples that once again appeared on Angel's face with his smile.   
"I'm afraid there will be no music, so we shall have to count the steps instead."   
He added, glad that the waters tide wasn't up too far, meaning they could actually dance. 

Angel gave a small laugh and lightly balled one of his fists, tapping Alastor's shoulder with it.  
"I didn't step on ya yet, give me a break."  
With that he stepped closer, placing his hand on Alastor's upper bicep. It felt weird being so short, but it was a nice kind of weird. He had to crane his neck to look up at Alastor, him being a least 6'3 and Angel being just under 5'8.

Moving a little closer, facing Angel, Alastor placed his hands upon the blonde just as he'd done the last time they danced in that tiny basement club.  
The placement of his hands was already easier to work out, Angel being that much shorter.

He looked down at Angel with slightly narrowed eyes, guiding him into a few steps just to get them going. All was quiet, except the sound of water drifting up and down the shore and the sound of their feet scuffling in the sand. 

Angel kept a loose grip on Alastor, knowing there was no need for an intense hold. He kept up with Alastor's pace, trying to come up with a song in his head that would suit their steps. Finally coming up with one, he started to hum it. The smile still very present on his face as well as the dimples that always seemed to follow.  
He continued to hum as he followed Alastor's steps with little to no difficulty, kicking up sand once in a while and giving a small giggle through his humming.

Alastor too silently went over a tune in his mind, keeping to the beat of that, still continuing to lead Angel into the steps. When the other began to hum a familiar tune, Alastor switched up the song in his head to the one he recognized Angel to be humming.  
Just as he'd done back at the jazz and swing club, completely unprompted, Alastor lifted the hand that held Angel's, bringing the shorter male into a spin, more sand being kicked up as he did so.

Angel spun as commanded, being able to do so much easier than before due to his height. He couldn't think of a better way to spend his time. He'd do this everyday if he had the chance, but unfortunately this was likely a once in a lifetime kind of deal. He had to make sure he absorbed every bit of this experience as much as he could. 

To his dismay, upon performing the spin, he nearly tripped over himself. This caused him to jolt forward, almost faceplanting right into Alastor's chest. He managed to recover just in time though, laughing it off and continuing to hum. 

Noticing that they were dancing closer and closer towards the water, Alastor moved them back a little, and as Angel spun around, Alastor's brows shot up as the other tripped a little. 

Luckily, since he had a hold on the other, they didn't completely go tumbling down to the ground, and even as Angel fell forwards, Alastor managed to reel himself backwards, making sure the other didn't get too close. Or at least any closer then they already were. 

Like nothing had happened, they easily got back on track again, Angel continuing to hum, Alastor joining in this time. 

Angel's freckled cheeks turned a light shade of pink from embarrassment. He'd never tripped before. This body was not what he was used to. When Alastor backed away a bit, it was clear that nothing had really changed in Alastor's mind. 

They continued to hum and dance together. The rain had stopped and the clouds cleared, giving them a bright starry night sky to dance under along with the moon. 

Alastor raised a brow at the light shade of pink he noticed upon Angel's cheeks, embarrassment no doubt, although Alastor couldn't think why. All he did was trip.  
He looked up to the sky when he felt the light rain finally start to stop, the stars visible. Down in Hell, the only visible thing in the sky was the ever looming pentagram over the city and the occasional view of heaven during the hours of the night.

Eventually, the song they were humming came to an end, Alastor slowing their steps to a stop. 

Angel looked up as well, looking at all of the stars twinkling above them. He could feel Alastor come to a stop so he did as well, finishing the song. He then looked at Alastor, trying to read him. Obviously that was a waste of time, but that was fine. They had time to kill. 

Angel looked into Alastor's eyes as his smile fading to a small hint, the dimples fading as well. There were things he still wanted to do but he couldn't. He knew he couldn't. Alastor wouldn't allow it under any circumstances. 

The deer's eyes shifted down to Angel's, expression unreadable, of course. Alastor was a man who kept his emotions hidden. Emotions that usually only consisted of bad, twisted things. However, perhaps Alastor was staring to reconsider some of those. 

Did the Radio Demon have a heart? One at _least_ the size of a pea? Who knew. 

Alastor could see that Angel was certainly thinking about something, he had that look about him. But what about?


	20. Everything That Happens Here, Stays Here

With their dancing at a stop, Angel blinked a few times before looking away, unsure of what to do next.  
"Another dance or have ya had enough?"  
He finally asked, not ready to let go of the taller man just yet. He craved being held. Maybe not like this, but it was definitely better than nothing at all. This was all he could have ever wanted and he wanted to make it last as long as possible.  
Though, if Alastor was finished, Angel wasn't about to force him to continue. Not that Alastor would let himself be pushed over and forced into something he didn't want to do. Angel knew that. 

Breaking eye contact with Angel, Alastor looked over to the horizon, staring intensely at the line where the water met the darkened, starry sky. Alastor may have been a cynical man, but once again, he could appreciate that the sky tonight was truly a fascinating sight.  
"We have time, so can continue if you wish."  
He spoke quietly, adjusting his tie a moment, letting go of Angel's hand to do so.

Angel brought his eyes down to Alastor's chest when the eye contact was broken, giving a small hum. He dropped his hand as it was let go and took a step back- taking that as a sign Alastor didn't want to continue, leaving his grasp.

"Maybe in a few minutes..."  
He replied softly, starting to walk towards the water's edge. This wasn't good. Angel knew he was starting to do the _one_ thing he swore he'd never let happen again. He couldn't let it happen at all costs, no matter how much it killed him inside. Then again, it didn't matter what he did. It was going to hurt him either way. There was no escape. The more he thought about it, the more he started to feel as he did when under Valentino's contract.  
Overwhelmed, scared, stupid, and above all else, helpless. 

The spider walked into the water, a shiver running up his spine at the coldness of the salty sea around his feet. He stood looking out at the horizon in order to distract himself from his thoughts and feelings, taking in all he could in that moment. Angel didn't want to ever forget the scene before him. 

Nodding in understanding, Alastor took a few steps to the side, watching as Angel lead himself towards the water. The deer demon on the other hand decided to sit down, legs stretching out a little as he looked up to the sky. God, this brought back so many memories. Memories he didn't even know he had.  
Absentmindedly pinching at the sand beneath him, Alastor let a few grains blow away in the light breeze that cast along the beach. 

Angel seemed occupied too. In fact, this was all starting to feel like some sort of fever dream. Alastor still was unsure how he felt about it all, it was confusing. Going to the living world had its risks, yes Alastor knew that, but he was feeling almost alive again. It was pathetic of him and made him feel weak. The more he thought it about it, the more his brows kitted together, eyes narrowing deeply. 

Angel couldn't help but wonder why he was feeling this way. Especially when he knew this was just a pattern repeating itself once again. Falling for someone he knew he couldn't have.  
Last time it happened, it didn't end well for the other person.

Alastor was no exception. There was no point in sharing how he felt with the other, seeing as they were only together for the deal they'd made. There were no feelings being shared. Or... so he safely assumed. He didn't know what was going on in Alastor's mind and that was probably for the best. 

After a few minutes of standing in the water, Angel turned back to Alastor, starting to make his way over to him. Sitting down next to the Radio Demon with his legs stretched out in front of him, Angel leant back on his hands, keeping his eyes in front of him. 

Alastor stayed silent once he noticed Angel coming back over, sitting himself down on the sand beside him.  
The Radio Demon still sat up, tracing lazy patterns into the sand as he stared off into the distance once more, thoughts elsewhere as he thought long and hard.

Alastor never got a chance to think like this with the freedom he had right now. Hell was a cage, a punishment for the evil wrongdoings done in life. Did Alastor regret them? No, of course he didn't. He was proud of every single murder and more. The mundane, boring feeling of being trapping in Hell though? Once outside, his thoughts truly were running rampant.

Angel didn't think he'd be able to handle looking at Alastor. Not yet. He laid back in the sand, hands resting on his stomach as he looked up at the stars. 

"Un bacio è solo un bacio finché non trovi quello che ami.  
Un abbraccio è solo un abbraccio finché non trovi quello a cui pensi sempre.  
Un sogno è solo un sogno fino a quando non diventa realtà.  
L'amore era solo una parola fino al giorno in cui ti ho incontrato...."

Angel recited quietly. It was meant for Alastor but it didn't matter whether he'd heard it or not. It was something said to him back when he was alive by someone who meant a great deal to him.

If he had tuned out all the background noise perhaps a second earlier, Alastor would have missed it. Angel was speaking, but it was for no one. Or so he thought. Either way, Alastor didn't understand, but he did hear it nonetheless. Whatever it was, he supposed it didn't matter. Angel would have said so if it did. 

"It's a nice change..."  
Angel said after a few moments of silence, taking the focus off of his previous words.  
He looked up at Alastor, seeing his focus was still out on the horizon. He could feel his eyes sting and start to water. The thoughts he was having really were taking a toll on him. It had been so long since he'd thought about any of it and for good reason. Then just general memories from his life came into play. Some good, many bad.

As he was spoken to in English, Alastor simply nodded, not turning his focus around.  
"Strange."  
Was all he returned, the sounds of the slowly enclosing waves still echoing over the expanse of the beach.  
Reaching into his jacket pocket, Alastor pulled out his glasses once again, unfolding them before slipping them on and glancing over to Angel.  
"There's something on your mind, if I'm not mistaken, my dear."

Angel fought the water in his eyes with a few blinks. He brought his arms up, placing his hands behind his head as he stayed laying in the sand. He looked back up at the sky, giving a small nod. He wasn't sure if he should open up to Alastor about what was really happening in his mind or play it off as something else they needed to discuss about what was to happen after their plan. 

"Just thinking about past shit... y'know. My life."  
He sniffed as he paused.  
"But I know ya probably don't care so we should probably discuss our plans when our deal is done instead."

Alastor's exterior was still unreadable as he looked Angel up and down.  
"The past is the past. Reminiscing is fine, but nothing can be undone."  
He presumed that what Angel was remembering, was a bad memory. Perhaps it hurt him in some way, caused anger, pain- whatever it did, Alastor could recognize the inner turmoil clearly plastered upon the others fair features. And low and behold, the Radio Demon was curious to know more. He, after all, thrived off the information others gave him. It gave him more insight into them as a person... and Angel's past for whatever reason was still a mystery to Alastor in some respects. 

"My plans, for one, are simple. Once I have the power I desire, I will continue to watch the fools of Hell pathetically kneeling before me only to be met with rejection, their hopes becoming failures and their lives, or deaths, no more. But on the contrary, Angel my dear, I am oh so intrigued to know more. You have grabbed my attention, therefore please make it worth my while..." 

Angel was about to press further into the latter topic but Alastor continued prying into his thoughts. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and adjusted his position a bit. This wasn't something he talked about with just anyone, but seeing as Alastor seemed genuinely interested he figured there wouldn't be much harm in letting him in. 

"Long story short... I fell in love, kept it secret, brother found out and ratted me out to Dad who offed my then fiancé just after the proposal in front of me. I tried to kill my brother after finding out it was him, sister got in the way so I ended up shooting her instead, killing her. I ran for my fuckin' life... cut to lonely Tony living on the streets of New York, selling his body to anyone who'd bite just to afford the only thing that could help him forget about everything. Ended up taking too much Phencyclidine, overdosing in some crappy motel room just before a session..." 

Angel's eyes didn't leave the sky. Of course, they'd started watering again, a few drops escaping and rolling towards his ears. He did a good job at keeping his voice from cracking and his breathing under control. That was something he avoided thinking about as much as possible. He never told anyone about any of that. It was a bit of a relief to get it off of his chest after so long though.

"Molly was the only one who really accepted me for who I was and wanted to be. She didn't deserve to die by my hand. She didn't deserve to die at _all_. She just wanted everyone to get along... and James... I should have stayed away, knowing what my family was like..."  
His voice was now soft as he added on.

Alastor found himself growing quiet, unable to respond appropriately, he felt. And that was for the first time in a long time that he'd had no words. 

Angel's story wasn't necessarily unique or strange in any way, shape or form. Alastor had, over the years down in Hell, been told many a backstory, some more interesting than others; and while Angels was similar to a few, none had ever left the deer demon speechless. Perhaps it was Angel himself or perhaps it was the tears that ran down the spiders face, dripping onto the sand as he told this heartfelt tragedy of a man named Anthony, long gone. 

As had been highlighted many, many, times before, Alastor was useless when it came to affection, but with Angel he did try. Moving closer to the other, Alastor once again placed a reassuring hand to the shorter mans shoulder, giving it a small squeeze.  
He still had questions, but they'd be answered later. For now, while the waves crashed against the sand, Alastor would stay with Angel here in this spot.

Angel closed his eyes, letting a few more tears fall as he started to bring himself back to the present. There was no going back to change anything he'd done so there was no point in dwelling on any of it. It didn't help that Alastor was giving mixed signals either. 

Did he actually care or was this all just an act? Was he really a heartless chaos bringer or did he actually have something in his chest with an echo of a beat? 

Angel let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and opened his eyes, looking up at the stars again. He sat up, pulling his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and looked down at the sand in front of him.  
"You ever wish you could go back and warn yourself about the outcome of one action you were about to take?"

Alastor's hand slowly lowered from Angel's shoulder as the other spoke, asking Alastor a question. A question that Alastor actually wasn't too sure about.  
As far as he could remember, every single action he'd taken had a purpose. He always thought about his movements, the consequences clear from the moment he took that action. There was perhaps only a singular time in his life that one action was taken, the consequences unseen, that Alastor heavily regretted. If he would warn himself about that? Then yes. He would. 

Alastor let there be silence for a few moments as he thought. Until he finally spoke up with a sigh.  
"I don't regret the action anymore. I've managed to see past it. But, many years ago, yes. There was one action I gravely regretted taking." 

Angel was a bit surprised by the answer Alastor gave. To him, Alastor was a near perfect being. He was always precise and... some other word he couldn't think of. He also saw Alastor as very strong. Not only because of the powers he possessed in Hell- but mentally and emotionally strong. He couldn't imagine seeing Alastor cry or let his smile fall to the point he was fully frowning, though he caught a glimpse of it once now that he thought about it. 

Why did he frown that once? 

"Can I ask what that action was...?"  
Angel figured he'd ask. He wanted to learn more about this man. Even if Alastor didn't want to share it, Angel was content in knowing that Alastor wasn't actually perfect. He was human once too, who made mistakes.

To many, Alastor was a man who made no mistakes. But this one mistake he had made which he, at the time, regretted remorsefully? It would be told to no one. Even now.  
"I'm afraid I cannot say, my dear."  
There were things he would happily spill in order to let others know of the chaos he'd upturned during his life and even in Hell, but this was something else entirely. 

The world, back then, was cruel in how a singular action could break a man.  
Even now, while Alastor had managed to get over it, the thought alone made his minuscule heart almost ache. And clearly with the thought in mind, the expression he wore on his face told Angel that he was not willing to talk anymore about it.  
With a shake of his head, Alastor hoped that Angel respected that. 

With the response given, Angel finally looked at Alastor. It was something bad. Really really bad. He could tell.  
He just whispered a small "...okay.." and took a moment before deciding to shift a bit closer to Alastor.  
Whether he was okay with it or not, Angel needed the comfort right then. Alastor might have as well, given his expression. He looked back out towards the horizon and carefully rested his temple against Alastor's shoulder. 

Angel was starting to believe that Alastor did have something in his chest. It might have been 99.99% dead, but there was still that .01% that was still struggling to stay alive. And he felt that Alastor was doing everything he possibly could to keep it from living. 

Angel let the last tear fall as he closed his eyes, now just listening to the sound of the waves and the breeze, as well as the small hint of Alastor's breath. 

Alastor silently appreciated Angel's small words of understanding, expression suddenly blanking as he felt the others head resting upon his shoulder. It was a foreign gesture to him, and he couldn't understand it in the slightest. But, again, they still had a lot of time, so for now? Alastor would allow it.  
His muscles were stiff as Angel seemed to relax, the slight breeze that blew across the beach, ruffling up his otherwise neat hair.

No words were necessary right now, or at least, Alastor couldn't think of anything. 

The spider stayed like that for a few minutes, pulling away after noticing Alastor didn't relax. He was uncomfortable and Angel didn't want that. He opened his eyes again and took a deep breath. 

It wasn't that Alastor was uncomfortable. While yes, he didn't like touch initiated by anyone other than himself, as Angel rested his head upon the Radio Demons shoulder, it was more so that Alastor didn't know what to really do.

"So... is it safe to say that anything that happens here stays here? We won't dwell on it when we go back, right?"  
Angel asked suddenly, keeping his eyes on the moon. In his mind he was hoping James wouldn't be upset with him anymore than he probably already was from Heaven for the actions he was contemplating in taking.

"That is correct... I think it's best we don't talk about it. Besides, when we return, I suspect our focuses will be on the upcoming event. It is close, after all."  
Alastor slowly nodded once Angel had pulled away. 

Angel gave a nod and started to stand up, brushing the sand off of himself and getting it out of his hair.  
"Good. Now, how about we have one more dance and head back?"  
He asked, seeming a bit more optimistic as he looked down at Alastor as he stretched his arms out a bit.

Alastor looked up at Angel as he stood, following after him and brushing himself free of any sand or dirt as he stood too.  
"One more dance it is then."  
He nodded holding out his hand for Angel to take once again.

The tide was getting close now, water slowly creeping up the beach towards them. It wouldn't be long now before it covered the sand completely. 

Angel smiled and took the hand offered to him, stepping closer to Alastor and put his other hand on his upper bicep as he'd done before. 

Alastor settled his hands upon Angel as they faced each other. His first hand rested softly upon Angel's waist, second hand holding the other's as they began to dance.

Angel started to hum to get their pace set before singing the actual lyrics to the song softly as they started to dance.  
"One night when the moon was so mellow, Rosita met young Manuelo... he held her like this. This lovely miss, then stole a kiss... this fellow, he said he was glad he'd met her. And soon he would come and get her..."

Alastor was slightly taken aback at the song Angel began to sing- he knew it, however hadn't heard it in a long while. Still, he continued to lead their steps.  
Once Angel's voice trailed off a little, the Radio Demon decided to join in quietly, raising his chin as the lyrics came back to him.

"...but she said 'no no I cannot go until I know you better'..."

Once again, their feet kicked up sand as they danced, the moderately fast tempo keeping Alastor on his feet.

Angel wasn't expecting Alastor to continue the song, but it was a more than welcome surprise. He hummed the next bit and continued the song. 

"...he kept on his feeling, and he added a feeling... she was satisfied.." 

He continued to hum and sing the song as they danced, the night growing older by the minute. They'd have to leave very soon, which saddened the spider. 

The both of them alternated between humming and singing, all while dancing along the slowly shortening sea front. Alastor too was aware that their time was running thin, not long now. They'd already stayed longer than they needed to, but for a few moments more it would be okay. 

The song repeated its first verse once again, just the end now. As their steps stayed even in pace, Alastor broke his eye contact with Angel, quickly looking to the horizon before bringing his gaze back again, eyes meeting with Angel's dimples. 

Angel kept his smile, dimples deepening as it grew. He kept his eyes on Alastor as they continued their dance. He didn't want to stop so he started humming a new tune. They moved away from the waterline as it drew closer, Angel sneaking his way closer to Alastor as his hand very slowly inched it's way up to Alastor's shoulder. 

Alastor huffed a laugh once Angel began a new song, slowing the pacing of their steps to match the tune that the spider hummed. Whatever tune it was, Alastor was not familiar with it. But he would still dance to the beat it gave no less.

Angel's hand moved so slowly up Alastor's shoulder, that the man didn't notice, his focus on the humming of the tune, the steps, the water and, well, Angel himself. 

The spider gave a small laugh himself, green eyes shining with pure joy as he gazed at Alastor.  
"What's so funny?"  
He questioned, continuing to dance with the taller man and continued to hum. He knew Alastor wouldn't know the song he hummed and that was fine. He didn't seem to be complaining about it.

Rolling his eyes with a grin, Alastor shook his head.  
"Ah, nothing my dear. Nothing at all."  
He laughed once more, eyebrow raising as the tune Angel hummed sped up a little, Alastor stepping a little quicker as they danced. 

They were getting close to the pathway now, the water a few meters away at most. 

Angel gave a small shrug, continuing to hum as they danced. He managed to get his hand close to Alastor's neck by now, now very close to each other.  
He soon stopped humming, his steps slowing to a stop as he looked up at Alastor, hands staying where they were.

By the time the humming stopped, prompting Alastor to stop too, Angel's hand was already resting by his neck. They were closer than what they had been earlier during the last dance, Alastor finally noticed.  
Eyes darting to Angel's hand that was on his neck, Alastor raised a slight brow. The song was finished, over, but with Angel standing so close Alastor almost didn't know what to do.

Without thinking too much about the consequences, Angel lifted himself onto the tips of his toes and snaked his arm around Alastor's neck, closing the space between them. Angel's eyes fluttered shut just before their lips met in a sweet and gentle kiss. 

They wouldn't talk about it later, which was part of the reason why Angel did what he just didn't. In fact, they would pretend as if it didn't happen once back in Hell. As if it were just a dream they both took part in, so what did it matter? Though, to Angel's unknowing mind, this would be one of those mistakes he'd wish he could warn himself about later. 

Alastor could have spoken up, could have pulled himself back or batted Angel away like he usually did- but for some confusing reason unknown to even himself, Alastor didn't. He saw it coming, he wasn't an idiot. Angel's hand sliding around his neck was slow enough and gave enough time for Alastor to do exactly as he would have usually done if this situation ever arose, but again, he didn't. 

His eyes may have been open wide in shock as it happened. It was warm, yet confusing. Comforting yet awfully terrifying. And Alastor didn't know what to make of it.  
Alastor's chest felt pained.

Angel pulled away, opening his eyes but he kept them cast down. He removed his arm from around Alastor's neck and let go of his hand, stepping away and lowering himself as he put his hands in his pockets. 

"Get your stuff from the car so we can go back... I'm ready."  
He stated softly, looking out at the water and the moon. He couldn't bring himself to look at Alastor. The Radio Demon didn't pull away or stop it from happening, which was something he had expected to happen. But it didn't. He didn't understand why, but at the same time, it didn't matter either.  
They'd never speak of this again and he was okay with that... for now...

"O-oh..."  
Clearing his throat, pushing up his glasses as he looked towards the direction of the car, Alastor just nodded.  
"I'll be back."  
He spoke up, turning on his heels as he began his quick ascent up the rest of the beach towards where the car was parked.  
His mind was buzzing, thoughts all over the place after that. He was confused as to why Angel had done that- however it seemed that he would never get a chance to ask after today. After all, they wouldn't speak of this again, Alastor understood that.

Once at the car, Alastor reached into the passenger side, bending down to reach the books he'd retrieved earlier.  
Glancing around once more to see if there was anything else he'd forgotten, Alastor soon backed out the car, seeing nothing else. It was as he went to place one of the journals into his pocket so he had more room in his hands, that there was a sound of metal, or a similar material, clinking down onto the concrete ground. Raising an eyebrow, Alastor stopped in his tracks, looking down with sudden wide eyes.

A silver necklace with a tear-shaped pendant had fallen out of the books... one he was all too familiar with... 

Angel walked towards the water again as Alastor grabbed his things, the water cold as his feet submerged into it. This would probably be the last time he came here. A sad thought in all honesty. But they did what they'd come to do, had a bit of fun while they could, and that was that. Their deal was almost complete.  
Angel had started looking for his own place to live for when they finished what they planned to do. It was likely something Alastor had been dreaming of. His home all to himself again with no noise or worries of someone getting into trouble. 

Angel didn't want to be any more of a burden to Alastor as he already was, so he assumed the sooner he left, the better it would be.

Angel had already paid first and last months rent at this new place he'd found, he was just waiting to finish their job before moving all of his stuff into the small apartment near the strip club he worked at. He'd be starting full time soon after the party as well as his original solo plan of keeping up with his porn career.  
He didn't bother telling Alastor about any of this seeing as they were avoiding each other for the last three weeks and he didn't think Alastor would care to know about his later plans.

Alastor's expression was unreadable as he knelt down to pick up the necklace, running the silver chain through his fingers.  
"My my... this is a surprise."  
He muttered to himself, slowly standing again, the necklace finding a safe home in Alastor's breast jacket pocket for now.  
With that all said and done, he made his way back to Angel, seeing the silhouette of the man standing in the water, his shadow demonic as it cast down upon the sand behind him.

Their journey to the living world was over. Nothing that was done here would be spoken of again... so Alastor supposed that still gave him one more small thing to do. He'd thought of it, just moments ago. 

Angel heard the car door finally close from behind him, signaling Alastor had gotten everything he needed from the vehicle. He blinked and turned towards the other, his shadow finally gaining his attention, it looking as he did as a demon. An odd detail he'd missed up until that point.

He looked at Alastor again, keeping his hands shoved into his pockets with a small smile as he started making his way back over to the other man, kicking the water a bit as he made his way out and stopped in front of the taller gent.  
"Ready?"

Alastor too stopped in front of Angel, adjusting his tie slightly again before he nodded and looked down to the books in his arms.  
Taking a small breath, Alastor used his free hand to reach back into his breast pocket, the necklace appearing, being held up by his middle and index fingers.  
"Christmas is a time for giving, is it not? I have no use for this, therefore I'm gifting it to you."  
Even if the previous owner of the necklace wasn't clear now, the engraved writing on the back was sure to let Angel know eventually.  
"We are not speaking of this again, yes?"

Angel watched as Alastor reached into his pocket, pulling the necklace out of it. He held his hand out for the necklace to be lowered into his palm. He ran his finger over the pendant before looking up at Alastor with a small nod, not noting to look at the back yet. 

"It's like Vegas. What happens here, stays here. But... you're sure you want to give this to me? It's beautiful and I'm grateful. Just... ah, fuck it. Thank you, Alastor."  
Angel smiled, undoing the clasp and putting it around his neck.

Alastor said no more as Angel thanked him before putting the old necklace on. Once again, the Radio Demons expression was unreadable as he knelt down to the ground, beginning to trace the outline of a pentagram within the sand. He didn't have any candles, but that was fine. The symbol alone would do and Alastor could remember the spell. 

Standing back up again, Alastor looked to Angel before he opened his mouth, the chanting beginning once more. Sand from inside the pentagram started to sink, a hole forming in the ground.  
A dark light this time surrounded them, one that was not friendly by any means. The portal to Hell was open and inviting its demons to return.

Angel's heart leapt for some reason when Alastor knelt down but relaxed again when he started drawing, letting out a heavy breath, feeling absolutely stupid. He stepped out of the way to give Alastor the space he needed. 

The spider took one last look around and up at the moon and stars before looking at Alastor again, taking in this form. It was the last he'd see of it. He brought one of his hands up to the pendant and grasped it as he reached for Alastor's hand, ready to return. 

Glancing across to Angel for one last time as a 'human', Alastor took a brief moment to make eye contact with him, staring into those curious green irises. Nothing else was needed to be said once Angel had taken his hand. 

As they fell, a dark and deep red light encased them. Twisted and ugly shadows surrounded them, dragging them deeper and deeper until complete nothingness surrounded them. The light from the living world was now long gone. All that remained was the darkness of Hell bringing them back to where they, as heavy sinners, belonged.


	21. Awkward Dreams

When they first arrived on Earth, Angel didn't feel his body changing, but this time as they returned, he could feel everything. It was almost painful and felt incredibly odd. The way he felt his body contort and stretch to its eight foot height and slender form, sensing his extra sets of arms growing from his torso again. 

His grip on Alastor's hand tightened a bit as he squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to see anything until they were back in Alastor's room, assuming that's where they would end up.

If you could have seen it, it was truly something out of a horror movie. They way they transformed back into their demon forms was both slightly painful and terrifying, as was expected. It wasn't so bad that Alastor cried out in pain, but the discomfort was definitely there as he felt his already slender human form, stretch even more, his deer like antlers sprouting and growing through the top of his head of now vivid colored hair in comparison to the brown it was before. 

The air stood still as they left the portal and stood in Alastor's room. Everything dead silent. No more waves, no more gentle breeze, nothing.

Angel blinked his once again mismatched eyes open and looked around to make sure they were back where they'd started. He went to look up at Alastor but he was once again shorter by a mere two inches, causing him to look down a bit. Still holding the pendant in one of his other hands now, Angel slowly let go of Alastors hand.  
"I'll meet you downstairs. We have more planning to get done."  
He stated, quickly leaving Alastor's room as his boots clacked against the wooden flooring as if nothing had just happened. 

Silence was a virtue in Alastor's opinion, and as his eyes opened to the familiarity of his room, that prospect took hold. Silence truly was golden. 

It was back to business. 

"I shall meet you downstairs shortly."  
Alastor added as he watched Angel leave the room. His floorboards where the portal had been made were a little scorched, but nothing too major. Besides, everything was worth it now that Alastor had the page of the book. It couldn't have gone better. 

Angel quickly went to his bedroom to get Fat Nuggets and then went downstairs to do the dishes he'd left before they went on their trip. The trip that was to now only to remain as a memory of a dream he'd had. He would pretend as though Alastor had no part in it, and if the subject were to ever arise, Angel promised himself he would look at Alastor as if he was crazy to even mention such a thing. 

He sat the pig on the floor by feet, and as usual, the animal plopped it's body on its owners feet. Angel rolled his eyes with a small smirk and started washing the dishes.  
It took him a moment to get used to having the extra arms again, retracting the third set as he always had, letting the second set rest on his hips as he started to hum. 

Alastor made sure to put the books away neatly and carefully, placing the one spell book away in a place that he would remember for when he needed it in a couple of days.  
Glancing around his room once more, Alastor swiftly exited and began to make his way downstairs.

Angel was in the kitchen, and as was his pig. Alastor had to admit, it was a little disappointing the pig hadn't died in the time that they were away, but he supposed they were only gone for a couple of hours at most. 

Angel heard Alastor coming down the stairs just as he was finishing with the dishes. He proceeded to move over to the fridge to grab something for his pet to munch on while he and Alastor had their discussion about the final plan as well as a glass of water for himself and Alastor.  
He sat down at the dining room table, putting Nuggets on the floor and the two glasses on the table.

Taking a seat at the table where he usually did, Alastor thanked Angel for the water as he took a few sips.  
"So, three days."  
Alastor nodded, keeping eye contact with the spider, occasionally glancing down at the pig on the floor.  
"I have everything I need for this to go swiftly, so now I just suppose it's only a matter of waiting. I trust you're prepared too?" 

"As ready as I'll ever be. I pick up my suit tomorrow afternoon."  
Angel sighed in reply. He was actually scared shitless but knew there was no backing out now. He paid no attention to the pig as it had its snack.  
"I take it ya got an excuse for me to be there set up?"  
He asked before taking a sip of his own water.

Alastor rolled his eyes slightly at Angels inquiry to the excuse he'd had for him to actually be at the party. It wasn't a long shot, in fact, it really made sense- however, Alastor worried that Angel might like the idea too much.  
"Why, yes, I do. Like I said, I've thought of absolutely everything."  
He added, quickly gulping down and finishing the rest of his water.  
"I suppose you'll be wanting to know what it is, no doubt?"

"It would make things easier on me."  
Angel nodded a bit. He wasn't able to look Alastor directly in the face so instead his eyes lingered on either Alastor's hands, chest, shoulder or neck. He couldn't wait to get out of this house...

There was no point holding back, and it was all apart of the plan anyways.  
"Given your current reputation down here and the people you had ties with, I will simply say that you have since moved from Valentino and, as the news report started, and are now 'mine'."  
It really made the Radio Demon grit his teeth, the sheer awkwardness of it, but it was the only thing Alastor could think of that was even slightly convincing. No, actually this was very convincing. 

Angel raised a brow, looking Alastor in the eyes for a moment before looking away with a bit of a smirk.  
"Oh, keep your pants on. I can't handle you all over me like this."  
He rolled his eyes as Alastor usually did to him with the sarcastic remark.  
"I know you're soooooooo excited but ya gotta hold off a bit longer, sweetie."

Alastor practically deadpanned at Angels reaction, however he expected it nonetheless.  
"While I may be acting as your 'pimp' for the evening, that does not cancel out anything I said about not calling me those awful names."  
He thought he'd add that in there, just in case. Leaning back in chair, eyes narrowing at the arachnids sarcasm, Alastor just looked away.  
"It's only so that if anyone asks, you have an excuse. Nothing more."

Angel gave a small laugh, placing one leg over the other and folding both sets of arms over his torso, now confident enough to look Alastor in the face.  
"C'mon, if we're gunna lie about it we might as well play the part and, yeah it might be believable because of _my_ rep, but there ain't nothin' more believable than me givin' ya pet names."

Angel cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair.  
"Exhibit A: Nicholas Grimaldi. Pet names: Nicky, Cole, Sauce- inside joke-  
Exhibit B: Valentino. Val, Vee, Pimp Daddy, Bitch Tamer-"  
Angel continued listing off names for everyone he'd come in contact with on a regular basis including Vox, Travis, and some other regular clients he'd get.

"One name that they all had in common and I used for _every single one_ \- and my personal favorite- _Daddy_."  
Angel's smirk only grew at the last one as he finished the list.

Alastor leant his elbow on the table, chin resting in his palm as he listened to what Angel had to say. Pet names that were both ridiculous and filthy were listed out, Alastor's brows frowning more and more with every one. 

When Angel got to the end, telling the Radio Demon the final name that Angel called them all, Alastor couldn't help but laugh.  
"Oh my dear, you certainly do get around, don't you."  
He laughed, shaking his head.  
"Unfortunately for you, you will not be calling me Strawberry Pimp, Bitch Tamer, any weird word play on _my_ name, and you will absolutely not be referring to me as Daddy."  
It was almost funny hearing Alastor say those words, but regardless, he seemed completely serious.

Angel mimicked Alastor's body language to assert himself, eyes narrowing slightly.  
"How do ya expect it to be believable if I ain't hangin' offa ya like a set of monkey bars and callin' ya hot names?"  
Even if Alastor didn't want him to, Angel was going to take full advantage of the opportunity. Just a last bit of fun before they parted ways and never spoke again.

Alastor just sighed, not exactly seeing Angel's point. Just having the arachnid there was surely to make it all the believable that they needed.  
"I hardly see you 'hanging off of me' as being not only unnecessary, but also rather flamboyant." He added, seeing the smirk in Angel's eyes.  
"You may use discretion to make it believable, but that is all. After all, I am not really your pimp."

Angel shrugged a bit, looking down at his pet.  
"Fine. A whore listens to their pimp, so, if that's what ya want, that's what you'll get."  
He paused.  
"Aside from that, how am I gunna be introduced to our lovely friend Lucy? And how am I gunna lure him in?"

"A whore can't listen to anyone if they're dead."  
Alastor laughed, eyeing Angel with a grin.  
"I shall introduce you two. Let you and him get to know each other a bit, the usual."  
He explained, waving his hand around as he did so.  
"Once I leave you two alone, just do what you do and everything should work out according to plan."

Angel just raised a brow in response before looking at Alastor again, taking another sip of water.  
"Sounds like a decent plan. One more question for ya though. Do I treat him like royalty or like any other client?"

Alastor looked down at his empty glass then across to Angel as he asked his question.  
"He's not the Queen of England, my dear, he's the Devil. Any other client will do, he doesn't care for titles."

Looking down at Fat Nuggets, Alastor's eyes narrowed.  
"Looking tastier by the day, my friend."

Angel took in what was being said to him but put his leg out in front of Fat Nuggets to block Alastor's view.  
"So you'll talk to _him_ like that but not your own bitch? I see how it is."  
He huffed, looking down at the pig.  
"Don't listen to him. He only wants you for your hot body."

Rolling his eyes at Angel's comment, Alastor shook his head. He supposed he should have been used to this by now.  
"Anyways, we shall get a ride up to the party so I trust and hope you won't take too long in getting ready on the day, hm?"

"Don't worry, babe. I'll be ready in time. Got everything set up and ready to go... for the most part."  
Angel replied.  
"Been hopped up on drugs the last three straight weeks so my bite has more effect."  
He tapped his gold tooth and picked his pig up.  
"Ain't that right, fat bitch. You'd know aaallllllll about it, wouldn't ya."  
Angel spoke to it in a baby voice and hugged it. Fat Nuggets just snorted in response to Angel's hug, clearly content with its simple and relaxed life.

"Good. We can only hope the effects take ahold of Lucifer quickly, before he realizes what's happening at least. And once he's out of it, I shall entertain the whole of Hell by broadcasting the downfall of their king!" 

"As soon as you step in, I'll slip out. It'll be like I was never even there."  
_Or here..._  
He went to finish his water but paused, seeming to think about something for a moment before continuing with his action. He set the now empty glass inside of Alastor's.

"Yes, it's probably better that way."  
Alastor nodded, thinking it over in his mind.  
"It wouldn't be very pleasant to be caught in the crossfire along with Lucifer, I can say that at least."  
He laughed, watching as Angel stacked their glasses.  
Alastor knew what he was going to wear for the occasion, and needless to say, he was rather looking forwards to it all.

Angel gave a nod.  
"Witnessing first hand what you can do, I know for a fact so don't wanna be sucked into it."  
He stood from his seat and took their glasses to the sink, washing them out quickly and put them to dry with the rest of the dishes he'd done not long ago.  
"Well, guess that's it. If ya think of anything else, ya know where to find me."  
He gave a shrug, heading upstairs again to hide for the next few days.

Alastor was silent as Angel quickly washed the two glasses and left as quietly as ever, Fat Nuggets clinging onto him in one of his sets of arms. 

So... Alastor supposed that was it. Angel was just going to do his own thing up until the party and then they would part ways. 

There was a moment of silence as Alastor looked to the ground, the cogs of his mind turning as he realized his and Angels time together was coming to an end... 

"Excellent!"  
He exclaimed, clapping his hands together before he stood.


	22. A Party Fit For A King

For the remaining time until the event, Angel kept himself occupied by going over every last detail on his side to make sure everything was in place and he knew what he was to do.

On the day of the party, the spider had made sure to start getting himself ready extra early just to make sure not a single strand of fluff was out of place. He also made sure he fed his pet pig, had everything packed for the aftermath and made sure he had his getaway driver on speed dial for when his time to slip away arrived.

He exited his bedroom, closing the door behind him as he fixed his new pink tailcoat. Of course, it had pants to go along with it but he didn't like the idea nor the feeling, so he wore a usual yet new pair of shorts instead, along with a new pair of black boots. Angel also decided to wear the necklace Alastor had gifted him. He took a deep breath and headed downstairs, having something in his inner coat pocket he needed to leave for Alastor to find later.

As for Alastor? He was around now and again, mainly staying cooped up in his room, revising their plans down to even the smallest detail.

Three days went by in the blink of an eye, and before Alastor knew it, the day of the party had come.

For the most part of the morning, Alastor had been most probably over-preparing. Regardless, one couldn't be too careful in his opinion, especially when it came to dealing with Lucifer.

In terms of getting ready, Alastor wore a dark red, almost black, colored suit, much like the one he wore during his and Angel's chaos back at the casino.

Despite being excited for the eminent entertainment, Alastor would be lying if he said there wasn't at least a minute slither of nerves there at the prospect of seeing dear old Lucifer again after many years.

Smoothing his suit out, making sure everything was in order, Alastor stepped out his room, summing his microphone and knocking it against the floor.

Angel heard Alastor exit his room just as he made it to the bottom of the stairs. He was hoping he'd be able to find a spot for the small piece of paper he had for Alastor before he made his way out but it didn't seem like that was going to happen. Instead, he'd find a way to sneak it into one of his pockets before their final goodbyes.

Angel turned and looked up the stairs as Alastor made his way down, giving a small smile. He looked quite handsome- then again, when didn't he?

"Lookin' good."   
He simply stated as Alastor made the final steps.

Alastor looked to the foot of the stairs, noticing Angel already waiting.

"Why, I could say the same."   
He grinned, giving Angel a once over, noticing the shiny black boots, different from his regular ones.   
"New boots perhaps?"   
The deer asked, making his way to the bottom of the stairs, turning to Angel once he was there.

The both of them were definitely dressed for the occasion, looking as dapper as ever.

"The driver will be waiting outside, so if you have everything, then I don't see why we can't head off now. The sooner, the better in my opinion!"

Angel grinned, holding both sets of hands behind his back with a nod to the implication about the boots. He figured he could afford to splurge a bit and go all out for the occasion.

"I'm all set if you're ready to get goin'."   
He stated, bringing his upper set of hands out to carefully adjust the lapel of Alastor's suit jacket before linking arms with the other.

Alastor glanced downwards as Angel adjusted his jacket, nodding in thanks as he straightened his posture, linking arms.

"Let us go then."   
Alastor nodded, moving over to the door with Angel, it opening for them.

Angel walked by Alastor's side, his stomach tying itself in a zillion knots. This was it. It was happening. A mere four weeks ago they were nothing but strangers that happened to cross paths. Now? Now they were about to take on the devil himself and proceed to never see each other again. 

The natural darkness of Hell greeted them, lights and silhouettes of the city's tall buildings in the distance. Right in the center, amongst all the chaos, was their destination. Their ride was awaiting them already, a sleek black limousine styled car. They walked up to the back, Alastor opening the door for Angel to get in first. As gentlemanly as ever.

"Why, thank you, kind sir!"   
Angel smiled, placing one of his hands on his chest fluff as if surprised and flattered. He unhooked arms with Alastor and climbed inside of the stretched car, taking a seat. This one didn't necessarily have a strong alcohol and cigar smell to it like Valentino's always did, which caught him a bit off guard.

Alastor chuckled, climbing into the car after Angel. Indeed, unlike the usual cabs going around Hell, this one didn't smell like something had died in it. Instead, it smelt of new leather with just a hint of alcohol which was a nice change.

Once in the car, Alastor closed the door behind himself. The driver already knew their destination, so it was now just a matter of waiting to get there.

Glancing across to Angel, Alastor raised a brow. He, for some reason, hadn't noticed before, but Angel was wearing the necklace. Something that Alastor appreciated.

Angel had folded both sets of hands in his lap, one leg folded over the other with his eyes cast down at Alastor's shoes.   
His smile has faded since sitting down, mind fogged over with thoughts. It took him a few minutes to realize Alastor was examining him, causing his focus to move up to the others face as a small smile pulled at the arachnid's lips.

He didn't really know what to say, so, instead of saying or asking something stupid, he decided it best to keep his mouth shut.

Alastor made eye contact with Angel after a few moments, smiling a little too.   
"I must say, it is a nice surprise to see you wearing that."   
Alastor nodded, loosely addressing the silver chain around Angels neck, the pendant settling just above the fluffiness of his chest.

The drive to the city center was quite a ways away still, so Alastor figured he'd start up some sort of conversation. Although, the silence had been nice.

Angel glanced down at the necklace quickly before bringing his attention back to Alastor.

"Oh, yeah! Uh... I figured it went well with the new jacket and the fact it's probably the nicest piece of jewelry I own now."

Angel shrugged a bit. There was more behind the reason he was wearing it but he wasn't supposed to talk about any of it. Not for anything. He was a bit surprised Alastor had mentioned it though, as their mutual agreement not to speak of the event's of their time in the living world.

Nodding quietly, Alastor just sat back against the cars seat, gaze wandering out the window again.   
"Where do you plan to stay after this all?"   
He thought he'd ask. Over the three weeks they weren't talking, it would have made sense if Angel had at least started to look for somewhere.   
He would admit, it would be quiet without Angel around, and it made him a little annoyed, the fact that he never did get to eat Fat Nuggets, but Alastor figured he'd learn to accept that eventually like he did everything else.

Angel didn't expect Alastor to care enough to ask about that so he was a bit caught off guard.   
"Oh, I've got a place all set up close to work. Just waitin' for this to be over with before movin' in."   
He didn't share much more than that. He didn't think it was relevant how soon it was going to happen. The sooner the better he supposed. He planned on sliding out of the party as Alastor was finishing up, running back to his house with his getaway driver who he'd been acquainted with before to grab everything and leave without a goodbye. There wouldn't be any need for it.

"Why, that's brilliant my dear, good news indeed!"   
Alastor laughed, happy to know that he was right in thinking that Angel had found somewhere to go after all of this chaos went down.

"I wish you well then, Angel. For the future, haha!"   
Back to his usual self it seemed Alastor truly was happy that Angel had found a place so quickly.

"And I take it you'll be in the same place? Or do ya have plans to move into a place fit for a new king?"

"Ah yes, I shall be staying where I am. I'm afraid I've grown quite attached to my current abode. I shan't be moving any time soon."

Angel gave a small smile. He knew he'd be happy about it.   
"It'll be nice havin' some peace and quiet. Bet that's what you're lookin' forward to the most, huh?"   
He wanted Alastor to say it. He wanted Alastor to say he wouldn't miss him. Maybe then he'd be able to have some closure. He'd been having thoughts that Alastor actually had feelings, so to hear that he didn't care about him or something along those lines he'd be able to accept it and move on. Leave it all behind him.

Letting out another hearty chuckle, before Alastor could even stop himself it seemed the words were already quickly coming out. He was used to this, so, why would he say anything different?   
"Haha, why yes I will. Silence is golden and is something I shall be looking forwards to very much once you're gone."   
His mouth ran away with him; however his mind was thinking otherwise.

A month wasn't long in the face of eternity indeed, something Alastor had told Angel shortly after they'd met. But in that month, a lot for Alastor had changed. However, it seemed that the Radio Demon was still struggling to admit some of those changes.

Angel's smile grew a bit, looking down at Alastor's shoes again to hide the hint of pain hiding deep inside of his eyes. It would only hurt for a little while after all.   
"You've got a lot to look forward to tonight then."   
He brought one of his hands up to fiddle with the teardrop pendent that rested just above his chest. It seemed to bring him comfort when he played with it. He wasn't sure why though.   
Angel shifted his position a bit and looked over at Alastor, trying to decide whether or not to give him what he had now or keep it a secret.

It wouldn't have made a difference whether Alastor had opened his mouth and said those things or not. When it came down to it, this was the way it was supposed to be. Hell was not fair- punishments were never fair and neither was life. Or death. Whatever you wanted to call it. They were sinners and this was the price they had chosen to pay.

Alastor could only nod, choosing to stare back out the window, managing to catch a glimpse of Angel's hand moving over the necklace through the reflection of the window.

There were almost there now, Lucifer's luxurious home right in the center of Hell that was just up ahead.

Angel decided to move to sit next to Alastor. He decided it would be best to get it over with seeing as the events of the evening were unclear, so being able to slip a piece of paper into his pocket might be hard to do.

Reaching into his own inner coat pocket, he grabbed the small slip of paper and pulled it out. He'd folded it up so Alastor couldn't read it yet, but even then, it was written in Italian so he'd have to translate it later. That is... if he cared enough to do so.   
Angel slid the paper into Alastor's inner chest pocket and patted it as if making sure it stayed. He gave a small smile.   
"For good luck. Not that you'll need it."

Glancing over his shoulder as Angel moved closer, Alastor raised a brow at the small piece of paper that the spider produced from his pocket.   
Turning to the other, he followed the paper with his eyes as it was neatly tucked away in his own inner pocket.

"Thank you."   
He nodded in regards to the luck.   
"I suppose I shall read it later."   
Alastor continued pointing to his pocket.   
"And not that you'll need it either, but good luck to you too, my dear. Let's give them all a real performance they're never bound to forget, hm?"

Alastor watched as they pulled up, their limo coming to a stop, the driver telling them that they were there. 

Angel gave a curt nod, smile growing slightly. He turned his attention to the large estate they were now pulling up to. He took a breath, seeing a very familiar form exiting a very familiar limousine. His stomach knotted again at the confirmation that Valentino attend the event.

"Hoboy..."   
He puffed his cheeks out, his thumb passing over the pendent a bit more aggressively from the nerves.

Nodding as he thanked the driver, Alastor slid out the car, holding the door open for Angel as he glanced over his shoulder at the sight of Valentino just exiting his own limousine. 

As the two got out of their ride, Angel made sure to straighten out his jacket and that he looked presentable, then looked at Alastor, linking one of his slightly shaking arms with Alastor's steadier and stronger arm.

Straightening out his posture once again, Alastor took Angels arm as he confidently walked towards the entrance of the large home. As for Angel? Well, Alastor could see that the spider was trying his best to seem calm, despite the fact that Valentino was just ahead of them.

Alastor knew it would be okay though. He knew that Valentino wouldn't try anything tonight, not with all the demons that were going to be here and the rules in place for the evening.

Angel tried to keep his focus on something that wasn't Valentino, looking at the details of the estate and looking at some of the other demons that were there. Many of which he'd already been acquainted with through Valentino in some way.   
That didn't seem to help ease his mind, surprise surprise. So now he resorted to focusing on his breathing and steps instead, listening to the sound of their shoes clicking against the grand marble steps of the mansion as he made sure to keep an even pace with Alastor.

This was typically the time Angel would take something to calm himself but he wasn't able to do that. Alastor specifically said no drugs and small amounts of alcohol, so naturally he left all of his substances packed away at Alastor's house.

Heavy amounts of alcohol, drugs and any other substances that would most indefinitely be at this party, in Alastor's opinion, would only serve as a distraction for them. Or more specifically, Angel Dust. That was why the Radio Demon had specifically asked the spider not to ingest anything toxic tonight.

They walked up the grand steps and into the entrance, Alastor keeping his smiley poker face, as per usual.   
Around, there were already demons that Alastor recognized, although it wasn't necessary for the Radio Demon to interact with them today. He'd come here with one purpose only.

Upon entering the grand foyer, Angel realized this place was more like a castle. A palace. All fit for a king and ruler.

The incredibly high ceilings with chandeliers hanging on either side and down the center of the hallways, everything with an apple or snake hidden somewhere in its design. The whites, reds, golds and blacks all seeming to play together nicely. It was truly enchanting.

Angel stuck close to Alastor's side as they were ushered into the large ballroom where violins could be heard playing, demons of the lower class trotting about with silver platters with assorted drinks and small hors d'oeuvres.

Angel had yet to spot their host, looking to the grand staircase as they made it to the center of the room, wondering if Lucifer would make a grand entrance or if he was already among them, having casual conversations with his guests.

"He's not here yet."   
Alastor spoke slowly, not even having to look around much once they were in the ballroom.   
The grand staircase in the room was unoccupied, and if Alastor knew anything about Lucifer at all, then it was he was a charming, yet humorous fellow who loved nothing more than to make an extravagant entrance. He enjoyed the praise.

Just from even looking at this place, the decor, the colors, the sheer affluence that this place held would have told any demon that Lucifer liked to show off. Of course, a man with that much ego and power would do such a thing.

Immediately, a silver platter with drinks laid out was presented before both Alastor and Angel. It was one drink, and everyone around had one, so in order to not stick out too much Alastor took it with thanks.

Angel followed Alastor's lead, taking the glass with a polite nod to the small demon, who then scurried off. He stayed latched to Alastor, practically glued to him.

He did recall Alastor saying that this was a time no wars were to break out and no trouble was to ensue, however that didn't help Angel relax. Demons of the higher class were unpredictable and could do anything at any moment despite who was around and who wasn't. Though, Lucifer being who he was with the power he had, he was sure that was enough to keep the others here in check. This wasn't like in the streets where you'd get groped without restraint. It was safe to assume these demons had some form of respect and decency.

Angel could feel eyes on him and Alastor, especially one particular set that loomed on the far side of the ballroom, sat on a lavish red and gold chaise lounge.

Alastor had been aware of Valentino from the moment they arrived. The sleazy overlord had his eyes on them both, and Alastor could only laugh at the pettiness.

"My dear, it seems we have an admirer. I must admit though, I'm not exactly flattered by this attention."   
Alastor snickered, eyeing Valentino who lay down on an all too luxurious chaise lounge. The Radio Demon honestly wouldn't have been surprised if the film star overlord had gathered one of his minions to bring the chair in especially for his own purpose.   
"What do you say about going over, hm? I have a feeling the clown is going to make us all wait a fair few moments before making his presence known."

Angel's eyes widened slightly at the suggestion, grabbing Alastor's arm with one of his free hands while keeping his other linked, leaning closer to him.

"You're out of your fuckin' mind, Al!"   
He whispered in a harsh tone, though if Alastor did decide to go over, there wouldn't be anything Angel could do about it. I wasn't leaving Alastor's side for any reason aside from his proceedings with Lucifer.

Alastor sipped at his drink, looking up slightly at Angel.   
"Haha, that's right! Why do you think I'm here in the first place, my dear? Of course I'm out of my damn mind, but that makes it all the more entertaining! Come along."

Swiftly moving around Angel, Alastor guided him over to the corner of the room. He could practically feel Valentino's annoyance before the overlord even said a word. Despite the seemingly nonchalant expression he wore.

Angel held his breath and closed his eyes, scrunching his face a bit as they made their way over. 

"Ah Valentino! What a surprise seeing you here! Oh, and are those new glasses? Yes, very charming indeed. Much better than the old ones, I'll say!"   
Alastor announced into his microphone, almost giving the other a reminder of what torture he'd gone through the last time the Radio Demon was around.

Valentino seemed to pretend like he hadn't noticed the duo, sipping at his own drink with his other upper arm resting on the back of the chair, lower hands clasped in his lap with one leg over the other.   
When Alastor spoke, his attention directed at the two again, giving a smug smirk of his own as he waited for Alastor to finish speaking.

"I believe I have you to thank for the upgrade. I was meaning to get new ones but put it off, so, thank you, Radio Demon."   
Valentino's attention directed at Angel then, who was looking around the room as if to not take notice of Valentino's presence.   
"Angel, you look nice. I assume your new pimp bought you that outfit? Very nice."

Angel turned his attention to the lounging overlord as he was addressed, glancing at Alastor quickly. This is where he needed to make it believable.

Even at the rather clever comment on Valentino's part, Alastor showed no sign of defeat in his expression, he just laughed as he always did.   
"Any time, my good fellow... any time."   
He replied, glancing over to Angel as his outfit was pointed out.

"He sure did, and God, is he ever the greatest!~ Such a proper gentleman~"   
Angel grinned, tracing a heart on Alastor's chest as he leaned in close to the deer, lashes batting as he threw a bit of shade Valentino's way.

As the spider played his part in being the Radio Demons 'property', Alastor played along as he had to, bringing an arm around Angel's waist, pressing him close.   
"Yes, doesn't my Angel just look absolutely stunning? He's wonderful company to have around, I'll tell you that."   
Smiling equally as smugly as he eyed Valentino, Alastor just held his chin up, act not faltering in the slightest.

Valentino's smirk didn't falter despite clearly becoming agitated by the way his eyes narrowed slightly.   
Angel knew Valentino's feathers were getting a bit ruffled, knowing his body language all too well. He may have been keeping a cool exterior but inside? Inside he was screaming.

"I take pride in how well I've raised Angel. I'm glad my conditioning is to your liking."   
Valentino stated before taking another sip from his glass, to which Angel made his best effort not to react to the statement, just keeping his eyes on Alastor as he wrapped his upper arm around Alastor's neck and his lower arm around his torso in return with a small hum.

Alastor's eye couldn't help but twitch slightly at Valentino's words, the Radio Demon not liking them in the slightest. But still, he had to act the part and agree, seeing as Valentino seemed to take so much pride in having 'conditioned' Angel to be this way, whatever that meant.

Alastor glanced across to Angel with a staged smirk, holding him almost protectively as he kept his eye contact with Valentino, his malignant grin not leaving his face for anything, Angel's chest now pressed against Alastor with how close he was holding him.   
"Why yes, Angel is an absolutely treasure if I do say so myself. Now, I do hope you can excuse us, we have other people to address."

"Of course, a pleasure seeing the both of you again. Enjoy your evening~"   
Valentino grinned, unable to see that Alastor didn't like how he'd phrased his sentence.

Angel took a controlled sip of his drink as they took their leave, wanting so desperately to down it all at once and grab a few more, but he knew Valentino would see this and feel proud that he'd gotten under his skin at the mere mention of the tormenting history they'd had together. He'd be able to drown his frustrations later.

They slowly walked away, Alastor's teeth gritting behind that smile.   
"I suppose that's about as awful and as unpleasant as they get."   
He almost sneered, arm still wrapped around Angel's waist as they walked towards the center of the room again.

Angel played with the fabric of Alastor's coat in order to comfort himself, giving a small nod at his comment. His eyes stayed on the marble floor as they made their way back to where they were. He could feel Valentino's eyes digging into his back.   
Alastor presumed that Valentino was glaring daggers into each of their backs, but as the lights cut off, the promise of their king making his appearance brought all of Alastor's thoughts away from Valentino. 

The Radio Demon was about to say something else when all the lights in the room abruptly cut out, candles that lined the grand staircase quickly flickering to life one by one. The atmosphere went silent, every demon's attention moving to the top of the stairs where a shadowed figure stood. He was here.

As the lights cut, Angel gripped Alastor's coat for a moment before relaxing again, eyes trailing up to the grand staircase. He assumed this was Lucifer's entrance. And, in all honesty, he was ready to piss himself.

From the corner of the room, the band started up, and the figure at the top of the stairs? Still encased in shadows, despite the candles that lit the pathway, they began their descent down the stairs.

Ever the theatrical.   
Alastor thought as he observed carefully. It had been a long time since the two demons had come face to face with each other, let alone been in the same room together.

Angel watched closely as the figure with the tall hat and cane with what looked to have an apple on the end descend the stairs. A pair of glowing eyes seemed to open as the figure made it to the middle step, sending shivers through Angel's body. The being looked to be around the same height if not just a bit shorter than Alastor if you knocked the hat off.

This was definitely going to be interesting if this character really was Lucifer.

Of course, the figure making its grand and ominous opening, was none other than Lucifer himself. Those eyes of his glowed in the darkness, a cheesy grin slowly being pulled up across his face as a voice as smooth as butter, echoed throughout the ballroom.

"To my finest denizens of Hell..."

The voice alone could have sent instant chills down anyone's spine. But not the Radio Demon. Not today.   
Angel, on the other hand, absolutely was not expecting a voice like that to come from the Devil himself. He was expecting something darker and more sinister, perhaps deeper? The voice definitely made Angel quake ever so slightly, but only because it wasn't what he expected.   
Alastor took a small step forwards as the light in the room slowly started to increase. There was a brief blur, one you would miss if you weren't alert. Just like that, Lucifer was standing at the foot of the stairway, arms outstretched, expression smug.

"I welcome you all!"

As Angel watched, he leaned closer to Alastor with his voice a just barely a whisper.   
"He's a literal fuckin' clown...!"   
Angel laughed softly, shaking Alastor's arm a bit.

Alastor glanced across to Angel as he whispered to him, the Radio Demon huffing a slight chuckle at the words the spider spoke.   
"Why yes, he is. Did you not know?"   
He asked in sight disbelief. Then again, he had to remember that Angel didn't know much about Lucifer when Alastor had first told him of his plans.

The band bust to life once again as Lucifer addressed the demons there tonight. A couple cheers rang throughout the hall, while the majority of the demons raised their glasses to the Devil.

The party had officially begun, meaning their plan were now in full effect. 

Angel couldn't help but give another small laugh, unable to contain his amusement. It took him a moment before calming down again.

Lucifer started slowly striding his way into the crowd of subjects, Angel taking note that this being was quite full of himself and loved basking in the attention. The spider was getting antsy to say the least, excited to get his hands on this man.

"So, when are ya gunna introduce me?"   
He bounced a bit in excitement, though still being nervous.

Eyes never leaving the clown, Alastor nodded as he answered Angel again.   
"As soon as I possibly can. If we go up to him immediately, he might be suspicious, so let's hold back for just a moment. Let him settle in first."   
Clearly Alastor had a strategy going on here, and while he could tell Angel was anxious to get this ball rolling, they had to wait a moment.

Alastor lead Angel over to a couple chairs that were off to the side. The band may have been playing, however Alastor was in no mood to dance. Not yet anyways.

Angel gave a small nod and followed Alastor, making their way to the chairs. He understood Alastor's thinking, needing to settle and take in the moment while he could.   
After hearing the devil's voice and seeing that he was basically just a blonde doll, his nerves weren't nearly as intense. And with his focus on Lucifer, Valentino wasn't in his mind at all.

The spider sat in one of the chairs and detached himself from the deer, crossing one leg over the other as he took a sip from his glass.

Alastor sat back in the chair, moving his focus across to the band that was playing a rather pleasant tune. He couldn't help but tap his foot along to the beat lightly, sipping at the drink he had been given earlier.

"Recognize anyone else here?"   
Alastor soon spoke up, attention not moving from the band as he addressed the spider.   
"There are many demons here who I can say have most likely used your services in the past. Or at least something similar."

Angel raised a brow at Alastor's question before taking another look around, focus no longer on Lucifer. He wasn't sure if Alastor actually cared or was just making conversation.He gave a soft hum before giving his reply.

"Mmm... yeah, there are quite a few. Why does that matter though?"   
He decided to ask, trying to see what Alastor had going on in that mind of his.

Was Alastor simply making conversation, or did he genuinely care? Who knew?   
Of course, Alastor wasn't too sure of the answer himself, he simply wanted to know as well as pass the time.

"Well, if doesn't really matter too much. I was merely only asking, my dear."   
He added, sipping at his drink again. Moving his gaze away from the band, Alastor scanned the room again, deciding to keep tabs on Lucifer now.

Satisfied with the answer, Angel turned his attention back to Lucifer as well, who was still greeting his guests as he passed them, to which they all either bowed or curtsied along with their own greeting to their king.

Angel's eyes narrowed a bit as he watched, trying to determine how he was going to address Lucifer when Alastor introduced them. He remembered Alastor saying that Lucifer didn't care for formalities or titles, but he seemed to be eating the formalities up with a silver spoon. This was going to be one hell of an interaction but Angel needed to figure out what he was going to do.

Alastor almost found himself laughing out loud as he observed some of the greetings other demons gave Lucifer. It was true, the Devil was absolutely eating every single one of the unnecessary formalities up, a wide grin on his face as he indulged.

From demon to demon, Lucifer slowly made his way around the room. Alastor would have usually thought watching someone for this long as risky, however, the entire room was all eyes on Lucifer too, so he felt that it was okay for now.

Soon enough though, their target was close. Looking to Angel, Alastor stood, placing his now empty glass down on a table and smiling widely.

Angel watched as well, running his finger over the rim of the glass as he made his decision. He'd let Alastor go first, of course, and because this would be their first meeting and all eyes would be on Lucifer, he'd keep it formal, but when it became a little more casual and just the two of them, he'd not bother too much with it.

When Alastor stood, Angel looked at him, then to Lucifer. It took him a millisecond to figure out he should stand as well. He finished his drink and uncrossed his legs, standing and set the now empty glass down, fixing his coat a bit and made sure to wear a polite smile. He held all four arms behind his back in a coy fashion.   
His eyes watched Lucifer draw closer then flicked to Alastor for a moment, curious to know what he was thinking about this whole situation. Then his eyes found Valentino from across the room. Angel really wouldn't have cared if he disappeared completely from the event... or existence for that matter.

Commanding his microphone to disappear, Alastor held both his hands behind his back, face unreadable as he looked to Lucifer. He did manage to briefly catch Angels eye though, quickly giving him a small nod before their target could turn around.

And when he did? There was no going back.

Angel caught the nod Alastor gave just in time as it was given. His attention was snapped back from Valentino as soon as Lucifer addressed Alastor. Upon closer inspection, Angel's assumption about Lucifer's height was accurate. Without the hat, he stood just a tad shorter than Alastor. 

"My my, if it isn't the Radio Demon."   
Before Alastor knew it, he was being clasped around the shoulder, greeted with a pat.   
"I really didn't expect you to be here today."

It was almost too friendly.

Lucifer grinned widely as he observed the Radio Demon, expression showing no annoyance or irritancy over Alastor's informal greeting.

Alastor simply looked the other up and down, nodding a couple times.   
"And I almost didn't attend... if it hadn't been for my Angel over here, I wouldn't have come."

Angel watched the two interact, waiting to be addressed by the ruler of the wasteland they resided in.

Lucifer's attention turned to Angel with a raised brow, his grin staying sharp as he moved over to the spider.   
"Angel Dust, correct? Haven't I seen you naked before?"

Angel's eyes became half lidded as he smirked at the devil, keeping his back straight.   
"Mmm, that depends. If you're a fan of porn I'm sure you've seen me naked multiple times~"

Lucifer gave a low chuckle at Angel's response, seeming to already be quite comfortable around the spider. A good sign.   
"I'm afraid I cannot confirm nor deny anything, though, what I can say is that I'm a big fan."

Angel smirked and fluffed his chest a bit, liking the attention he was receiving. He was caught a bit off guard when Lucifer grabbed him by the waist, pulled him close, grabbed one of his hands and proceeded to spin and dip him.

Angel couldn't help but let out a small giggle, his own toothy grin appearing as he wrapped a leg around Lucifer's waist and held his shoulder with one of his free hands.

"A pleasure to finally meet you, Angel, my sweet~"   
Lucifer stated in a soft, seductive voice before letting Angel up again and continued on his merry way, greeting the rest of the crowd.

The topic that Lucifer and Angel immediately engaged in may not have been something that Alastor was keen on, but he was relieved nonetheless when Lucifer showed immediate familiarity with the film star. That was good indeed.

Alastor's eyes might have found themselves twitching in the slightest as Angel was quickly swept off his feet by the handsome devil. It was clear he was trying to impress everyone in the room tonight. And that seemed to be working.

Once Angel was back on his feet again, Alastor took a couple of steps forwards as Lucifer left their party of two, moving onto some other demons.

"He's taken by you." Alastor slowly yet quietly said, looking across at Angel. "Excellent."

Angel blinked a few times and readjusted his coat, regaining his composure.   
His eyes found Valentino for a brief moment, who seemed a bit irritated as he took a sip from his glass, then his attention turned back to Lucifer as he strode away.

Angel leaned closer to Alastor, not taking his eyes off of Lucifer.   
"He's a damn good sweet talker, I can say that much."   
He kept his voice just above a whisper, putting his hands behind his back again. He could tell Lucifer knew how to wiggle his way into the heart of just about anyone and given the fact he was familiar with Angel, that just meant he had the advantage. Angel still didn't know much about Lucifer, meaning a bit of a disadvantage, or perhaps an advantage in some form?   
Either way, Angel could tell he was in for a treat this fine evening and he couldn't wait to dive in.

Alastor simply nodded, watching as the devil politely kissed the hand of a female demon across the room.   
"Yes, it seems he hasn't changed at all."   
It was true, being the devil, associated with temptation and all things bad, of course Lucifer found ease in joggle his way into peoples hearts. That was what he did best.   
"People will offer him drinks soon, he'll obviously accept them and it won't be long before he's intoxicated. Once he sits down, I shall bring you over to him and explain things."

Angel gave a nod, listening to the details Alastor had laid out. It was a bit obvious that the one demon Lucifer seemed to have no luck with was Alastor. Unless what Alastor had told Angel wasn't the whole story.   
Angel was curious about this but quickly accepted that he wasn't going to ever find out. This was their final night together and finding out that Alastor didn't plan on keeping him around settled that Angel wouldn't put any effort in trying to stay.   
He was scared, to say the least, going out on his own for the first time in his own history without support from anyone.

Alastor sat back down with Angel as they waited for Lucifer to greet everyone. The Radio Demon was aware of the pair of eyes fixing on him and Angel from the corner of the room, rarely leaving. He had to admit, it was rather sad and pathetic how Valentino had nothing better to do during this lavish party. 

Angel sat when Alastor did, trying to keep his focus on anything but Valentino, proving to be more difficult than he'd first thought.   
The spider would catch himself silently thanking a demon that would stand in the way of his view every so often.

Soon enough though, Lucifer was spotted sitting down, being offered his second drink of the evening by a passing demon.

Now was a better time than ever.

Glancing across at Angel, Alastor nodded once again, holding out his arm for the spider to take before rising from his seat.   
"The time has come, my dear. Do what you do best, I suppose."

As soon as the Radio Demon looked at Angel, he perked up and looked at Alastor with a small, anticipating smile. He took the arm offered to him and stood as Alastor did.

"One quick question..."   
Angel started as they made their way through the ballroom.   
"How do ya want him when ya come in? Clothed? Not a hot sweaty mess? Or does it not matter?"   
He paused.   
"Answer wisely because he might end up being covered in juice, if ya catch my drift."

As they began to walk over, Alastor carefully listened to the question, trying his best not to outright cringe.   
"Well, if you're really asking that, then I suppose 'fatigued' would be the best sort of state for him to be in. Everything else doesn't matter, I plan to keep my part short and sweet."

Having quickly passed that information on over to Angel, it wasn't long before they faced him once again. And clearly, those two drinks made his expression seem all too eager to see at least Angel.

Angel gave a quick nod as they finally approached Lucifer. He didn't even bother waiting for Alastor to pass him off, immediately detaching from the deer's side and swiftly sat next to Lucifer with a wide grin, cuddling up to him, all formalities out the window.

Lucifer didn't complain whatsoever, in fact, he embraced it and wrapped an arm around the arachnid with a small chuckle.   
Angel put his legs over Lucifer's lap, leaning in close with a lustful glimmer in his mismatched eyes.

"Is our noble host enjoying himself?~"   
Angel cooed softly, tracing a heart on Lucifer's chest.

Alastor quietly watched as Angel, as confident as ever, simply made his way over to Lucifer, immediately cosying up to him. He had to admit, he was a little shocked, and playing the part as Angels 'pimp', did as he supposed was accurate.

"Angel!"   
Alastor almost snapped, shooting him a look of disapproval.   
"What did we talk about? It's indecent and rude to suddenly be all over someone without their permission?"

Angel jumped a bit as Alastor made himself heard, widened eyes looking in his direction. If Angel didn't know the plan he would have certainly thought Alastor was being sincere. He was a spectacular actor.

Angel went to quickly pull away from Lucifer and apologize profusely to them both but he was stopped as Lucifer kept a gentle yet firm grip on Angel's waist with the arm he'd managed to slide in.

"Now now, Ed, relax. This is a party. Get that awfully large stick out of your ass and enjoy yourself. Let Angel here free for a while, hm?"   
Lucifer spoke before finishing his drink. Angel cuddled into the devil once again with a grin, giving Alastor a look that came off as smug, but really it was a 'we're in' kind of look.

Lucifer turned his attention back to the spider as he set his empty glass down, running a finger of his now free hand along Angel's jaw in a teasing fashion.

"I'll treat him nicely, you have my word~"   
He spoke smoothly, Angel practically shivering at the touch with a soft giggle.

Alastor almost, ALMOST, had to keep back a frown. It was Lucifer above all people who could really get under his skin like that. Only Lucifer. He was so patronizing and the worst part was? The Radio Demon could say nothing. But that was alright... later would be a completely different story.

"Yes, well."   
Alastor's eyes narrowed in Lucifer's direction at the nickname, one he certainly didn't approve of.

"Angel, you look after yourself. I suppose I shall find company else where."   
Seemingly annoyed, Alastor turned on his heels to leave Angel to the Devil. Yes... this was all going according to plan. Wonderfully so. All he had to do was wait.

Angel watched from the corner of his eye as Alastor took his leave, the black and red fading into the crowd. It was all down to him now. His job should be easy though. It's something he's done countless times and this wasn't much different.

"Thanks for that, babe. Much appreciated~"   
Angel hummed, snatching another drink for the devil and held it in front of him with a coy smirk. 

Lucifer, as he sat close to Angel smirked across at him, waving his hand around in nonchalance as the spider thanked him.   
"Oh, there's no thanking required, sweetheart... I've got all the thanks I need right, here~" punctuating his words with a small flick to Angel's chin, Lucifer slowly trailed a finger down the others neck to the top of his fluffy chest, nearly catching the necklace around his neck.

Without looking, Lucifer grabbed the drink that was offered to him, taking a swig.   
"Awfully glad that deer is out the way, hm? Tell me, Angel, what is he like?"

The spider bit his bottom lip and grinned, arching his back a bit so his chest stuck out and nearly pressed against Lucifer. He made sure to keep his eyes on the devil as he continued tracing shapes on his chest as he was doing before Alastor interrupted them.

"Deer Daddy? I don't wanna talk about him right now. I wanna focus all of my attention on you~"   
Angel purred, leaning in closer as he pressed his chest into the side of Lucifer's.   
"You're Hell's ultimate Daddy and I finally get to meet you. A true honor if you ask me~"

Lucifer could only chuckle deeply. Having his ego fed like this was almost too good, not to mention with every sip of alcohol he ingested, the porn star was slowly looking more and more inviting, the room around them seemingly heating up.

It wasn't often that Lucifer had this much to drink, however this was a party! And what better way to spend said party other than with a well-known porn star practically lying all over you.

"Haha, well, I can certainly say the same for you, Angel Dust. As I mentioned before, I'm a big fan~"   
His voice lowered all the more, eyes lidding as he pulled the other demon up and onto his lap, hand sliding down Angel's back and settling just above his ass.

Angel wrapped his upper set of arms around Lucifer's neck as he was pulled up into his lap, his lower set of hands fluffed his chest before running over the buttons of the devil's coat. The spider adjusted himself so he was straddling the clown's hips, keeping their faces close, alcohol aggressively present in Lucifer's breath.

"So, give me all of your attention. No one else matters right now. Just you and me, how's that sound?~"   
Angel's back arched a bit more as Lucifer's hand found a place to rest for the time being, his voice staying soft and suggestive with a hint of submission to it.

There may have been many demons gazed upon the two of them, but Lucifer wasn't caring too much in that moment. If he took a moment to look around the room, he would have noticed that they weren't the only ones in this sort of position to say the least. A lot of chaos and filth happened when you gathered all powerful demons together in a singular venue.

Closing his eyes for a brief moment as he took in the spider's words, Lucifer nodded, pulling one hand away from Angel to grab his glass of drink again, finishing up that one.   
"You've got my attention, sweetie... no one else in this room mattered anyways. They're all meaningless right now-"

Angel took this opportunity to 'accidentally' grind against Lucifer's lap, tilting his head slightly as he leaned in closer so their lips were mere inches apart.   
"I've always wondered how wild the king of Hell is in the sheets~"   
Angel hummed, thinking out loud in a bit of a teasing manner.

Lucifer chuckled at the boldness of Angel, his hands roaming as they pleased, settling on lightly kneading the others behind. His gaze was mischievous as he stared into Angels eyes, lips indeed close.

"Oh?"   
He smirked, taking the others comment into account.   
"Well, how about we find out, hm? I've always wondered whether the famous Angel Dust really can deliver like he does in those films~"

Neither of them had to say another word. No one would necessarily notice if they happened to go missing from the party for a while, and Lucifer had all the intentions of coming back at the end to say goodbye to his guests. But until then? Why not indulge himself.

The spider's eyes flickered down to the devil's lips for a second as he spoke. He didn't say anything in response, eager to fulfill his lustful needs as he moved off of Lucifer's lap and moved to the side so he could stand and lead the way to where ever it was he wanted to take him.

Holding out his arm for Angel to take, Lucifer led the spider out of the ballroom through a door at the back of the room.   
On his way out, the devil made sure to grab another drink, quickly gulping it down with a satisfied sigh as he and Angel took their leave.

The spider knew Alastor was somewhere in the room just out of sight, watching as Angel made his way out of the grand ballroom behind Lucifer. He just hoped he'd be able to find their location easily to carry out his plan in time before the drugged effect of the venom wore off.

As soon as they were out of the ballroom, door closed behind them, Lucifer swiftly swept the other off his feet with ease, that mischievous smirk ever present. 

Angel gasped in surprise as he was scooped up in the slightly shorter man's arms, giggling nonetheless. If a man picked him up in any way, Angel was his. No ifs, ands or buts given. Lift him and hold him against a wall though and he was going to be a submissive and needy bitch. 

"Let's take this somewhere more private."   
And just like that, Lucifer had them teleported to a room that could only be described as one fit for a king indeed.

In a single blink, Angel noticed they were no longer in a hallway. Now they were in a lavish and luxurious room. There was no hint that a party was taking place in that moment.

The spider kept his focus on Lucifer, grinning with all four of his arms wrapped around the other in some way.

"You're such a charmer, Lucy~" He cooed.


	23. The Devil's Tango

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ⚠️Warning!!⚠️
> 
> The following chapter contains scenes of extreme sexual content between Lucifer and Angel Dust! If you are unwilling to read this chapter, you are welcome to skip it! It does not contain any significant plot details that may be important later!
> 
> Thank you!

Placing Angel down once they were in the room, the lights immediately dimmed on their own accord as Lucifer began to back Angel up against the wall, hands slamming down on the wall either side of Angel's head as he pressed himself against him.

Angel let himself be set down, but as soon as he was being guided back he knew he was done for. There wouldn't be any stopping this now.  
The spiders back hit the wall and Lucifer made his move in trapping him against the wall, voice sending shivers through his body. His left leg noticeably shook a bit at the action.

"I bet you like that, hm?"  
He grinned, wasting no time in slamming his lips against Angel's.

No one would disturb them here, Lucifer would make sure of that.  
Lilith was out on a classified business trip and it wasn't like she didn't know what Lucifer got up to. This was Hell, hardly anyone was actually loyal- especially not the devil himself.

Before Angel had time to reply, his lips were captured by Lucifer's in a hot, searing kiss that made Angel audibly moan from his throat and eyes close. He made sure his lips movements synced with Lucifer's.  
The spider found his lower set of arms wrapping around Lucifer's waist from under his white coat and the upper set roamed his chest and shoulders.

The end result of this interaction was no longer anywhere in Angel's mind, determined to please the devil in every which way.

Lucifer groaned softly, tasting a slight hint of alcohol upon Angels lips as he aggressively made out with him, hips jolting forward eagerly. Clearly the devil was not one to hold back in the bedroom.

One of his hands slowly moved down the wall to the lapels on Angel's pink tailcoat, upturning them with a smirk as he pulled away from the kiss, staring intensely into the others eyes.

With his other free hand, he quickly discarded his own white jacket, tossing it to the floor.  
"Screw your pimp, you should be mine~"

Angel licked his lips, undoing the buttons of his own coat to expose the entirety of his fluffy chest. He started on the buttons of Lucifer's vest and his tie, breathing a bit labored as he became more and more excited.

"Take me then. I ain't gunna fight ya~"  
Angel panted with a grin, sliding the vest off of Lucifer's shoulders and down his arms while slipping the tie out from around his neck.

Lucifer darkly laughed, letting out breathy chuckles as he helped get off his vest and tie, throwing them to the floor as well.  
His eyes wandered down to Angel's chest fluff that was now completely exposed. However, the spider was still wearing too many layers for his liking- they both were and the devil was starting to get impatient.  
Skillfully starting to unbutton his shirt now with one hand, the other hand snaked around to the back of Angel's short shorts he wore, teasingly slipping in as his lips found their way back to the spiders.

Angel kept his back against the wall but brought his hips forward a bit to give him the space he needed, his pelvis pressing against Lucifer's as he removed the coat completely. Only his boots and shorts remained now, along with the necklace and choker he always wore.

He didn't say anything more as he pulled the devil into a hot and desperate kiss, pleading moans and whines escaping every once in a while, as he started to wiggle and grind against the other, his erection being felt through his clothes.

Lucifer finally found himself moaning lowly as Angel ground his hips against his erection.  
He managed to completely take his shirt off, leaving him clothed from the waist downwards.

"If you were mine, I'd make you beg for me~"

Hand slipping further into Angel's shorts from behind, Lucifer began to pull them down, absolutely reveling in the desperate whines and moans the spider was letting out. 

"Listen to yourself- whining like the needy slut you are~"  
Profanities of all sorts spilled from the devil's mouth, mind overflowing with drunken and lustful thoughts as he indulged in what he saw as his.

Angel didn't hold his noises back, knowing Lucifer was enjoying them.

"I'm your needy slut, Daddy~"  
The spider moaned with a lustful grin.  
"Please, don't hold back. I want you to show me no mercy~"  
He pleaded, letting his lower set of hands find the hem of Lucifer's trousers, slipping his fingers into the sides and slowly bringing them to the front then skillfully popped the button with his thumb.  
He continued letting out pleading and whimpering moans as they undressed each other.

Lifting Angel up slightly off of the floor, Lucifer managed to somehow remove the others shorts from around his boots, making sure those stayed on.  
It was a well-known fact to anyone who viewed Angel Dust's content that not a singular camera had seen the spider without his boots on. And as much as an asshole Lucifer could be at times, he respected at least that without it having to be asked.

Lucifer canted his hips forwards as the button on his pants was popped, the expensive material sliding off of his waist.

The nickname Angel gave him only spurred him on, hand moving around to palm Angels now exposed erection.  
"You've got to tell me what you want, Angel dearest~ Then I shall show you no mercy..."

Angel's head tilted back and his eyes closed as his erection was toyed with, pushing himself into Lucifer's hand with yet another moan. He inhaled deeply, looking at Lucifer again as he opened his eyes slightly. The devil's voice only made him melt even more.

"Be as rough as ya want. Take all of your frustrations out on me. I'm just your little toy to manipulate, ravage, fuck and demolish~"

Angel kept his voice as seductive as he could possibly get it, now digging his nails into Lucifer's shoulders and started to drag them down to his chest, scraping the top few layers of skin just enough for a very small amount of blood to seep through.

Hoisting the other further up the wall, his face twisted into an even darker grin at those words of encouragement.  
"Oh, I will..."  
Voice hitching in the slightest as he felt Angel's nails dragging down his chest, he only increased the pressure of his palm against Angel, wanting to absolutely drain him dry of the delicious moans he was letting out so willingly.

The devils other hand had already discarded his pants at this point, his pelvis grinding forwards roughly as his lips attached themselves to Angel's shoulder, hardly biting down, watching for a reaction from the known masochist.

Angel wrapped his legs around Lucifer's waist, smirking at the reaction the devil gave to the nails tearing bits of his skin. He took note that Lucifer had a bit of masochist in him as well, moving his hands up to his shoulders and dug his nails into the skin- a bit deeper this time as he started dragging them down the devils arms now.

The spider continued to wiggle himself against Lucifer, moans still consistent and growing louder from the teasing he was receiving. He watched the other closely as he leaned in and latched onto his shoulder, earning a wince and a lustful growl from Angel.

Lucifer visibly moaned this time as he felt the nails digging deeper into his skin, a shock of slight pain shooting up his shoulder that only created more adrenaline, adding to the thrill all the more. He shivered, forcing Angel further against the wall as he spread his legs around his waist a little further.

"I want you to beg for it-"  
Lucifer groaned through clenched teeth, pulling his palm away from Angel's erection and instead grasping his own, lining it up with the heat of Angel's ass.  
"My needy little toy has to beg for it-" voice a little harsher now, Lucifer watched with an expression of lust as specks of blood dripped down his shoulders, some spots appearing on his bare, pale chest as well.

Lucifer didn't need to tell Angel twice. He was always willing to beg, especially at a time like this when he had fully submitted to his new temporary master. He let the devil manipulate his body to his desires, opening his legs wider as requested.

He could feel Lucifer teasing and prodding lightly which only caused his back to arch further, practically forcing more lustful noises to emit from Angel.

"Daddy, please! Fuck, I need your big, juicy Daddy cock deep inside me! Fill your dirty little slut of a toy and make me scream your name!~"  
Angel started pleading and begging as if his life depended on it, wanting so desperately to force himself down on Lucifer. The only thing stopping him from doing so was his position and the devils firm grip on him. He wasn't able to move much.

Lucifer's expression lit up at the filthy begging, the words and the tone of Angel's voice only igniting his arousal more and more. He would have been a tease for a little longer to see just how long he could string out this begging, but the devil was indeed impatient, completely intoxicated and irrational.

Oh how he loved how he had Angel practically wrapped around his little finger- or so he thought. 

His moans became gruff, face scrunching up in pleasure as he violently thrust his hips forwards, the searing heat of Angel causing the devil to throw his head back.  
"Fuck-" he loudly growled. With the sheer force that he rocked his hips forwards, Angel was thrown back harshly up against the wall, a loud bang being heard.

Angel continued to beg up until the very moment Lucifer plunged into him, his mouth opening wide as he was slammed hard against the wall again. The spiders breath got caught in his throat at the pain it brought from Lucifer going in dry, but good lord did it ever bring him an insane amount of twisted pleasure.

Angel's left leg shook as the rest of his body twitched, his ass throbbing and tightening around Lucifer's erection. It took a moment for Angel to catch his breath again, finally able to let out loud, sensual cries from the immense pleasure.

"S-Shit, you're s-so b-big, D-Daddy!!~"  
The spider managed to wail, body twitching in time with his involuntary stutters.

The reaction Lucifer was given was exactly as he had hoped. He chuckled darkly under his breath through his quiet groans of pleasure. For a porn star that had been going for years, Angel was so incredibly tight still.

"That's a good slut- you take me so well, hm?"  
The begging along with the wails and cries was enough to send Lucifer over the edge. One hand stayed under Angel's ass, keeping him hoisted up while Lucifer's other hand pressed against Angels fluffy chest, keeping him pinned up against the wall even as the devil bucked his hips forwards.

Heat that was like none other and shivers at the same time wracked his entire body as he thrust, pulling his cock out most of the way before slamming back in.  
Lucifer didn't know what it was- perhaps it was the buzz and extra added heat of the alcohol or maybe it was the fact that he knew he was with the Angel Dust- whatever it was, it felt so good.

As the spider became more adjusted to Lucifer's size and length, it became easier for him to slide in and out with his thrusts. Angel, becoming more comfortable with the amount of pleasure he was being dealt, started giving a lust filled combination of moans and giggles from the mix of sexual gratification and pain as he started to heavily salivate.

"D-Daddy that feels so fuckin' good! Don't hold back!~"  
His hot core embracing Lucifer and physically urging him for more as his eyes rolled back, upper set of arms finding their way around the devils neck to pull him closer while the lower set of hands started to grip Lucifer's torso, nails digging in deep once again.

With every thrust Lucifer pushed into Angel, he felt himself getting more and more exerted. Along with having to hold Angel up against the wall, Lucifer soon found his breathing becoming labored.

Moaning as his eyes rolled back a little, with the hand that was pressing Angel to the wall, the devil instead gripped the spiders jaw, forcefully pulling him into a hot and messy tongue filled kiss.

His thrusts were powerful, yes, the slide of his cock inside Angel rocking the spider against the wall, most likely hitting all the places that Angel could have wanted, but as was said before- it was quickly tiring him out.

Angel grinned as he melted further into the experience, his body bouncing slightly with each thrust Lucifer delivered. He could feel himself drawing close to his climax as the devil was, in fact, hitting every spot Angel had. As his jaw was gripped, his mouth struggled to stay open enough with one eye closed as the other watched Lucifer as their lips and tongues clashed.

It was good that Angel was using 'Daddy' instead of actual names because he would have let Alastor's name accidentally slip out at some point subconsciously. As Angel closed both eyes, Alastor did cross his mind, reminding him of the reason he was here, in this situation, in the first place.

The spider had to force his one eye open again to look at Lucifer. He was growing tired. He could tell by his breathing pattern and the fact that his cock had thickened, a sign that his release was coming. As he analyzed the situation, he knew he'd have to strike when Lucifer's orgasm finished, being the time he would be at his physically weakest and in need of a fair amount recovery time.

Angel's choked moans didn't cease as he came up with his plan, now having it set he was able to finish enjoying his time. He could feel the heat building in his abdomen as precum began to seep from his tip, showing Lucifer how much he was truly enjoying this.

Angel was correct, Lucifer was close to climaxing now, small beads of sweat settling across his forehead as he grew more and more exhausted with every thrust. Still, not wanting to disappoint, he managed to keep his thrusts strong, focusing on the delicious sounds of want that spilled from Angel's filthy mouth.

He noticed Angel dripping precum onto the floor and so, he moved his hand that had Angel's jaw cupped in favor of taking the porn stars cock in hand, loosely getting him off in time with the thrusts.

With no insight into any underlying plans on Angel's part, Lucifer threw his head back once again with a low, gravelly moan, grinding his hips forwards as he felt himself start to cum, the hot liquid filling the spider just as he'd begged for many a time.

With Lucifer's hand away from Angel's jaw, his mouth opened wide again, moans and whines springing free at their loudest. The second Lucifer began stroking the spider's cock, his left leg began to quiver as he closed his eyes once again, the over stimulation causing his eyes to water with his chin tilting upwards.

As he felt his still very tight ass start to fill, he started to release in return, coating Lucifer's hand and stomach in the sticky white ejaculate.

"Daddy, fuck!!~ Yes, fill me!!~"  
He growled and moaned out, eyes rolling back again as his tongue started to protrude from between his teeth. He waited a few more moments as he felt Lucifer finish his orgasm, now taking this time to administer the bite.

Any and all tension that Lucifer's body had been carrying was suddenly lifted as he felt his orgasm hit him hard. His eyes closed tightly in pleasure, and even as he felt Angel release across his hand and over his stomach, he didn't pull away.

A few short moments passed in which Lucifer stood almost hunched over Angel, breathing coming out in short pants as he slowly lowered his hand from around the spiders length.

Angel leaned forward, kissing Lucifer's shoulder before parting his lips and teeth before latching on gently to make it seem like a soft, playful bite, but his teeth quickly sunk into the devils shoulder, blood flowing into the porn stars mouth and down Lucifer's arm, back and chest as he released the toxin into his bloodstream, refusing to stop and let go until he knew Lucifer was down for the count.

The devil thought it was just an affectionate gesture- but what started out as a nip and a kiss to his shoulder, turned out to be far more aggressive than he could have anticipated.

"Wh-what-"  
Lucifer tried to make his voice come across as stern as he felt sharp teeth sinking into his shoulder, vision suddenly blurring as a pain shot up the entire left side of his body.  
"Angel- what the fuck is-" he was cut off with a yelp, Angel's teeth sinking further in as the toxin was administered.

The devil tried his best, but with an intoxicated brain and the fatigue he felt from having sex for the past number of minutes, pulling away was not an option. The strength was not there.

Angel felt Lucifer grow weaker by the second, ready to take the fall as the devil started to collapse. He started to slide down the wall and let his legs drop as Lucifer fell limp, carefully maneuvering so they didn't hit the floor nearly as hard by wrapping one set of arms around the devil and the other set broke their fall.

Shooting Angel a look that could only be described dangerous, Lucifer felt his knees give way, body collapsing to the floor. He was down for the count.

Only when they were laying on the floor did Angel pull away, blood running down his chin as he pulled off of Lucifer, his seed spilling from his body with a lingering quiver to his legs.

Angel panted and stood upright, looking down at the now wrecked blonde. He quickly started to clean himself up, only bothering to put his shorts on and grabbed his coat, kneeling to Lucifer, throwing his white coat over his lower half loosely.


	24. Oh Deer Devil

"Alastor!!"  
The demons name rang out, echoing slightly in the large room as the spider called, hoping to everything that was unholy, he'd be able to hear him. He didn't know what Alastor had planned when it came to his finale, but he sure as Hell wasn't going to stick around for it.  
Angel had to admit, he felt a bit bad for Lucifer, in some respects, but it was mainly down to the fact that he'd been able to pleasure him so damn well just now. Other than that though, he couldn't have cared less.  
"Alastor get in here!!"  
Whether he was calling, and no one was listening, Angel didn't know. He could only hope.

***

Alastor watched from the corner of his eye as Angel proceeded to woo. And like the greed ridden, narcissistic demon that he was, Lucifer took the bait all too willingly. If Alastor's plans hadn't been a secret, then the Radio Demon would have absolutely taken the all too open opportunity to humiliate Lucifer in front of his abundance of lavish guests. But no, that was not the plan. He had to wait, and wait he would.

Quietly, Alastor took to observing the party around him. It had been a long time since he had attended anything like this. Lucifer had been right in voicing his surprise at Alastor's sudden appearance here, earlier. Every year since his acquaintance with Lucifer, Alastor had received an annoyingly well hand written and condescending invitation to these parties the devil held, however proceeded to dispose of every single one of the invitations, not having time for such time wasting gatherings.  
At least after today, those annual invitations would cease.

Mind snapping out of those thoughts, Alastor's sharp gaze was quickly back on Lucifer.  
It had only been a few mere minutes since the devil had gotten his hands on Angel, and already they were indulging in their sleazy acts.  
Some conversation was exchanged between the two of them and before long, Angel was standing along with the target.  
Alastor just grinned from where he sat, glass of drink loosely laying in his hand.

Keen scarlet eyes followed Lucifer like a hawk as he led the spider toward the back of the room and through an exit. Yes, and from there they would almost certainly be heading up to Lucifer's chambers.

Alastor left it a couple of minutes, ten at most, before he simply stood and walked quietly to the back of the room, sinking into the shadows as his body materialized in an upstairs corridor of the mansion. He made sure no ones eyes were upon him as he did this, not wanting to raise any sort of suspicion. Even Valentino, who had been annoyingly shooting him glares from across the room almost the entire time, had just conveniently glanced elsewhere when Alastor disappeared.

The Radio Demon stood in the darkened corridor where apple related decor of all sorts surrounded him. Pictures framed the walls, a few consisting of the Magne family itself.  
Static cut through the air as Alastor opened his eyes, a dull red glow engulfing the corridor as he began to slowly walk, microphone periodically tapping along the floor with every step.

As expected, the call from Angel soon rang out like absolute music to ears. And speaking of music-  
The symphony slowly began, at first in time to Alastor steps, and then to the beat of the song that was playing itself.  
Radio static occasionally cut in through the slightly slowed version of the song that was all too fitting for the situation currently happening.

'You sinners drop everything, let that harmony ring up to heaven and sing, sing you sinners-'

When he got to the room he knew was the location, the door simply opened, letting the music flow in.

'Just wave your arms all about, let the lord hear you shout, pour that music out, sing you sinners-'

Angel jumped slightly at the sound of the door, not fully expecting his calls to work. He stood from where he was knelt next to the disheveled devil with a profusely bleeding bite wound in his shoulder that seemed to be on the verge of festering, fixing his shorts a bit as he turned to the Radio Demon who strode into the room. Angel held his pink tailcoat over his shoulder as he watched Alastor approach, his hair and chest fluff was in a bit of a disarray and he looked a bit uneasy as he stood, legs having a slight quiver to them.

Angel watched Alastor approach, eyes looking down at Lucifer once again.  
"So, I guess this is it, huh?"  
His voice was a bit hoarse from all of the pleasured singing he'd just done, also sounding a bit defeated. A hint of sadness, if you will.

The Radio Demon, as he walked into the room, immediately found his face scrunching in the slightest, however the music did not cease.  
It didn't take a genius to figure out what had just been going on in the room between the devil and the spider.  
Luckily for them though, it seemed as if Lucifer was still down for the count. For now.

Alastor took a small few steps forwards, noticing how rather messy Angel looked.  
"Yes... I suppose it is."  
He slowly started, the instrumental part of the music quietening down to mere background noise as he faced Angel.  
"He won't be out for long, so I shall make this quick."  
Pausing a moment, Alastor quickly cleared his throat, not being able to meet Angel's eyes for... whatever reason. It didn't feel right.  
"Are you alright-"

Alastor stood in silence, eyes fixating on Lucifer's indecent form as it lay crumpled on the floor.  
The bite wound on his shoulder looked quite awful, dark blood dripping down onto the white jacket that covered his lower half.  
Angel's poison had done a good job, but it wouldn't keep the devil down for long.

Angel kept his focus on Lucifer, giving a nod.  
"Oh, yeah I'm fine. Uh... I guess I'll see ya later."  
He said softly, knowing that he would be seeing Alastor's face on the news and in the papers, but the likelihood of Alastor seeing him again was slim to none. He started putting his coat on again and straightened himself out before turning to Alastor. He took a breath and placed a hand on the deer's shoulder before he pressed his lips to Alastor's cheek for a brief second, a goodbye.

Still not daring to look Angel in the eyes, Alastor simply nodded, eyes narrowing as he spied the arachnid walking over to him through his peripheral vision.  
"I shall see you later indeed-"  
He was about to add something else, however the hand to his shoulder paired with the almost timid kiss to his cheek, catching the Radio Demon off guard as he watched Angel quickly slink out of the room.

The sound of the porn stars boots clicking against the flooring soon became faint, eventually fading completely.  
Now it was just a deer and the devil.

***

Angel pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent the text to his getaway driver that he was on his way out.  
He ran through the halls, navigating his way to the grand foyer and outside where Travis sat in his car, waiting. Angel quickly got in the vehicle and Travis sped off back towards Alastor's home just outside of the city.

Angel watched out the window of the speeding car.

Travis glanced at him for a moment.  
"You look... erm... nice?"  
He didn't know what to say. Angel did look well dressed but he wore an expression that was clearly that of sadness and exhaustion.

"...Thanks..."  
Angel replied softly, keeping his eyes fixated on the passing buildings and demons. The spider had a million things running through his mind, such as if he should stick around and give Alastor a proper goodbye. Then his mind went to the conclusion that he shouldn't bother. The sooner he left the better it would have been for the both of them. Angel had to accept that.

The rest of the ride to Alastor's abode was silent, Angel quickly running inside, grabbing all of his belongings and his pet, and went back out to the car. He put everything in the back seat and held Fat Nuggets in his lap, hugging the pig as they made their way to Angel's new apartment in the city.  
"Bye Al..."  
He whispered as he watched the house become smaller in the mirror as they drove off.

***

With Angel gone, that left just the two of them. And now... the show could begin.  
The music that had been turned down to a dull hum slowly started to increase in volume, song looping back around again as the lyrics played out. 

"Now, Lucy dear...I'm afraid your time is up..."

'Wherever there's music, the devil kicks. He don't allow music, by that river Styx-'

The dim lights in the room quickly flickered out as Alastor stared, unblinking, down at Lucifer's twitching body. He was starting to wake. Good. Alastor wanted the devil to see exactly who was the cause of all this chaos...

'You're wicked and you're depraved, and you've all misbehaved. If you wanna be saved, sing you sinners!'

Lucifer was slowly regaining consciousness, just about hearing the goodbye between the two demons. He was confused but his mind was incredibly fogged and all noises sounded distant and echoed. His eyes cracked open, vision fuzzy as he saw nothing but a red and black blur that seemed to swirl and shift.  
He wanted to speak or at least move but all he could barely manage was move his legs and fingers- for now.

As the next line of the song rang out, it slowly became drowned out in static, Alastor's eyes resembling radio dials as he gazed down at the pathetic pile of a demon before him.

Taking a few steps back, Alastor raised a hand.  
He planned to teleport the two of them to a remote section of Hell- in fact, it was a place so quiet, not even the usually loud and violent atmosphere of Hell its self could be heard.  
No one went there, and no one ever would. Except for today.

Lucifer could hear the music and static. This was quickly turning into a situation he could only have nightmares about. Even then, he never thought Alastor would be able to get this close. And using the porn star to his advantage.  
He was beginning to realize the depth of this plan Alastor had in place. He was impressed despite his drugged state. His entire left side was still in searing pain, the bite wound slowly beginning to heal.

The devil gave a throaty groan as his eyes opened a bit more, his right arm seeming to search for something.

Alastor had minutes, if that. Lucifer's wound would heal shortly, the poison would drain from his body and before long, he would be back to full strength. And if that happened? Alastor feared his plans would be for nothing.

"My my, you are a sorry sight. You know, Lucifer, I must say I was rather disappointed with your performance down at the party. You took my bait all too easily. I never thought I'd find you that dull."  
Alastor let out exaggerated laughter, glowing eyes spotting the devils arm feeling around for something.  
"But do not worry, my dear. I shall get the entertainment I crave... unfortunately for you."

Lucifer closed his eyes again as he rolled onto his side with a huffing grunt, wincing as the pain from his shoulder intensified at the pressure from his body weight pressing on it.  
With a quick yet weak snap of his fingers, Lucifer had cleaned and, for the most part, dressed himself in his pants and dress shirt. Of course, the shirt was untucked and barely hung onto his body as blood began to quickly soak it. He let out a heavy breath and started trying to push himself up.  
His intoxicated state clearly making things difficult for him. 

The devil let out a low and gruff chuckle, now on his knees in front of Alastor as he gripped his shoulder.  
"I- heh.... I admit, I'm impressed, Ed."  
Lucifer slurred, head down as he tried his best to speed up the process of sobering and healing. Angel's bite had definitely done a number on him.

Alastor rolled his eyes as the other snapped his fingers, finally presenting himself decently.  
"Why, I think you're forgetting the fact that I do not go by that name anymore."  
Alastor almost spat, growing more and more impatient.  
"Oh, and I do hope you don't mind. I know we made a promise all those years back, however, promises mean nothing to those who seek power."

Not long now.

"Why don't we take a trip somewhere, hm? Don't want this fine room getting completely destroyed, haha!"  
The Radio Demon didn't waste a second more. Waving his microphone over the devil, dark, sinister looking shadows latched onto him and before the two of them knew it, they stood and knelt in the clearing of a new, dark location. Somewhere very remote indeed.

Lucifer was still too weak to be able to defend himself, knowing this he let himself be taken. He kept a cocky and confident exterior while internally he was fighting the toxins out of his body. He had to admit, he had no idea Angel had such a powerful bite nor did he expect it to effect him so greatly.

Lucifer closed his eyes for a moment before tilting his chin upward, looking up at Alastor with a weak yet cocky grin.  
"Oh please, since when did you start caring about the aftermath of your destruction?"  
He scoffed, shifting to attempt getting to his feet, stumbling in the process.

Lucifer may have kept his facade of smiles all around up, but Alastor knew and could sense fear and weakness when he saw it. No matter how small it was, Lucifer was afraid.  
"I'd say it would be rather inconvenient to have a possible future abode of mine completely reduced to rubble."  
Of course, Alastor had no intentions in staying in the Magne's mansion once Lucifer was disposed off, but empty words that had the potential to cause chaos were always fun.

Watching with a sly expression as Lucifer attempted to rise, Alastor held out his microphone, forcefully keeping the other on the ground, threatening to go for the slowly healing wound on the devils shoulder.  
"Stay on your knees." He spat, static only increasing.

Lucifer couldn't help but laugh again. The more he thought about it, even in his drug hazed mind, there were very few things that could keep him down and only 2 things that could actually kill him. All of which he was confident Alastor didn't possess.

"I must say, getting the porn star on your side was quite the detail I wouldn't have ever guessed. Knowing you, avoiding such content, it's quite the surprise."  
As the microphone made contact, Lucifer's weakened knees gave out, hitting the ground once again as he kept his head held high and gripped his shoulder a bit tighter.

"And that bite of his, well, that was something I didn't know about. And there I thought you were ready to be civil. Then again, this is you we're talking about. My, how foolish of me."  
His words were becoming less slurred.

The laughter, it was always Lucifer's laughter that got Alastor the most. Either he knew something that the deer didn't, or it was down to him laughing as a mechanism to cope with the fear.  
"For a demon that's about to be put away, you certainly do sound confident, yes indeedy!" Alastor laughed, using his free hand to slowly reach inside the inner pocket of his jacket for the page of a book. He'd already memorized the spell, but if Lucifer even had recognition towards the page, then that would be oh so swell!

With every sentence the devil spoke, he was starting to gather himself more and more. Alastor had seconds now, it seemed.  
"My dear, I can be civil perfectly well... if you're the right demon. You on the other hand? Hmm, not so sure. I, for one, don't count your acts with the spider as civil in the slightest!"

Lucifer smirked, eyes carefully watching the Radio Demon's every move with half lidded eyes, blinking slowly as he could feel himself regain his energy rather quickly now. However, he stayed knelt in front of the other, knowing that he was at a mere five percent of his true energy level and capacity.

"Sex is uncivilized, is it? Especially when the both parties so clearly desire it? Well, so be it. Consider me a savage."  
Lucifer chuckled softly, the wound on his shoulder nearly fully healed and just a little less than half of the venom having cleared his system.  
His eyes narrowed slightly after a moment.  
"You care for him."

Pulling the page out fully now, Alastor held it tightly in his hand. He didn't have time for Lucifer's distractions.  
"As much as I would love to sit and chat, my friend, I unfortunately have a job to do. You say I care for Angel? Well, your theories are incorrect then."  
Eyes twitching in the slightest, Alastor's smile only grew as he raised his microphone a little higher.

In an instant, Alastor had teleported behind the devil, his hand slowly raising from the ground as a dark aura settled the surrounding area. Radio static drowned out any background noise, not that there was any to begin with, which only made the static all the louder.

Alastor's scleras gleamed a deep, dangerous red as his ever grinning mouth finally opened, chanting sounding out.

This spell was one of the only things, not only down in Hell- but anywhere, that could render Lucifer as being in mortal danger. Quite literally. To beat the devil, an immortal being, what would one do? Temporarily render the all powerful demon as something weaker than anyone. Human.

With Alastor behind him now and chanting, hearing the words the deer was saying caused the devils eyes to widen slightly, his grin faltering slightly.

There was only one copy of that spell anywhere.  
Gratia Viris Carmen... The Grace Removal Incantation.  
How Alastor managed to find it baffled him, having thought he had the book it was in safely in his personal library under lock and key.

Lucifer knew he needed to keep Alastor distracted. He almost had enough energy to be able to physically take action.

"Something unlikely, you caring for someone besides yourself. A porn star, all the more surprising. Even a sponge could sense that something happened between the two of you. But I still have yet to determine what that something is."  
He spoke, keeping a weak tone to his voice, nearly able to move his leg back and swipe Alastor's legs out from under him. One mispronunciation of a single word and the spell wouldn't work, so if he was able to wait for the last minute, he could take action and surprise Alastor to the point he'd screw up and have to start all over again.

Alastor kept his gaze locked upon Lucifer as he chanted the incantation, pronouncing every word as it was intended, not messing up on a single one. The deer knew that if he messed it up, he'd find himself starting over again and there was absolutely no time for that. Lucifer's strength was coming back to him.

As he neared the end of the incantation, Alastor began to slowly circle Lucifer- like how a vulture would their prey before striking. Awful high pitched radio frequencies cut in through the static as Alastor began the last verse of the chant, his sinister smile wider than ever.

Lucifer's words registered within his mind, however Alastor was not going to reply. He knew that Lucifer wanted him to reply, interrupt the incantation that he most likely recognized, however Alastor was having none of that. He would finish this no matter what.

Lucifer could hear Alastor shifting to stand in front, eyes narrowing. Because his mind was still hazed from the alcohol and venom so he was counting on Alastor staying behind. This was not good.  
The devil decided that should he escape this somehow, he would dispose of the Radio Demon before he'd get the chance to dispose of him first. It would be a race of sorts.

As Alastor started the final verse, Lucifer could start to feel his powers start to leave his body yet again. The vibrancy of his colors started to become dull. This was his chance. If he messed this up, he was finished.

He let out a weak cough before quickly shifting, bringing his leg out behind him and swiftly brought it forward, swiping at Alastor's ankles to knock him down.

Panic. Alastor was sensing Lucifer's panic now. Alastor could almost taste that fear and oh, was it mouth-wateringly delectable.  
The incantation was almost over now, just a couple more words to go and Lucifer would be finished. And then? Hell would be his. Forget the rationing of territory's, Alastor would own them all.  
He could see the devil draining of colour before him, and what a sight it was indeed.

Alastor didn't expect it, but as Lucifer cleverly stuck out his foot, swiping Alastor's feet from under him, the deer stumbled forwards, however managed to catch himself on his microphone, quickly pulling himself back up. With a determined mind, his chanting did not stop for a second until it was over, a dark, deep purple glow suddenly engulfing Lucifer.

It was as if the evil had been completely sucked out of the devil, draining him of every drop. The darkness that escaped, materialized into a shadow like figure that loomed above the both of them before completely disappearing.

All Alastor had to do was finish what he had started.

Lucifer's eyes widened slightly. His plan had failed, and the moment Alastor finished the verse, all energy, power and immortality was sucked from his being.

The devil was no longer the powerful being he was made as. He was mortal. Powerless. With the venom still in his body at twenty five percent of what it was when it was first administered, it was still too much for his body to handle, causing the nearly sealed wound to begin festering and bleeding profusely. He'd never felt such physical pain in all of his existence.

The powerless being fell back, his back arching and body contorting from the amount of sheer agony he was experiencing, clenching his teeth and growling as the wound on his shoulder started to swell. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't see. He couldn't control his body as it writhed, but he refused to scream, knowing Alastor would enjoy it far too much.

That smile grew and Alastor laughed. Oh boy, did he laugh. Pure unstable, evil insanity rang loudly out so much so that Alastor found himself gasping once he'd calmed. It echoed out into the nothingness, no radio effect present in his hysteria as he doubled over, gripping his microphone with an iron fist before straightening himself out, menacing eyes barely slits as he peered down at the hilarious suffering of Lucifer.

"And to think. Someone like you made me weak in the past... look who's the weak one now!"  
With a shaking head, Alastor's focus honed in on the rather nasty looking wound on the devils shoulder.  
"Why, that looks awfully angry. Maybe you should get that checked out, ha ha! Wonderful, isn't it? Three weeks straight on drugs and his bite is lethal. Who would have thought!"  
Whether Lucifer had the capacity to actually listen and register his words right now, Alastor didn't care. He would remember this moment for the rest of eternity.

Lucifer arched and kicked, fighting with what little strength he had not to wail. It took him a few minutes of listening to Alastor speak, the sadistic tone and enjoyment clear in his laughter and voice.

He'd made many grave mistakes today. His dull and near lifeless eyes slowly opened, looking up at Alastor's blurry and fading form, panting and trying his hardest to keep himself under control. The more Alastor laughed and rambled, the harder he fought. This spell was only temporary, lasting a few minutes at most. He was only praying to his Father now that Alastor would miss the brief window due to his own entertainment.  
He could have been positive Alastor didn't have the restraints necessary to contain him for eternity, but with the way this was going, he was almost positive he was wrong.

Alastor knew his time limits, and of course he was not going to go over that tiny couple minutes window he had. To leave Lucifer in absolute agony for the majority of it though? Only someone with the most sadistic and cruel intentions would do such a thing. And Alastor took great pleasure in those thoughts alone. Great pleasure indeed.

Subjecting Lucifer to this torturous suffering for a minute more, simply staring down at him with that Cheshire grin as Lucifer writhed and jolted around. Eventually though, Lucifer's time was up, Alastor quickly growing tired of the short lived fun.

Moving to his feet, Alastor clapped his hands together, pulling yet another old page out from thin air.  
"It's been fun, Lucy dear. It really has."  
And with that, Alastor began to chant once more.  
As he went through the spell, chains and shackles rose from the ground below them, another dark liquid like substance forming in a pool below Lucifer.  
Raising yet another arm, fingers twisting as he controlled the dark liquid, it solidified, the outline of a cage forming around the devils weak and pathetic form.

Lucifer gave a weak attempt at pulling his body out of the chains, this spell being familiar to him as well. He was indeed very wrong. Alastor managed to get his hands on everything needed for the downfall of the Devil himself. He was positive he had it all safely hidden. 

The blonde's breath was heavy and uneven, seeing no point in fighting anymore. This was his fate. The cage being of special design by God himself, made to bind his powers with no means of escape from the inside. This was where he would reside. In this desolate nothingness section of Hell with nothing but his thoughts. Not a sliver of hope. Not an ounce of dignity.

As the cage formed and solidified, it gave off a dark yet bright glow as Alastor recited a verse, giving it the ability draining quality. This was not a fate he wanted to meet again, having been trapped in this prison once before for a very long period of time.

Alastor took a step back as the cage solidified, squinting at the dark light that glowed around it, holding the devil. He couldn't get too close. Since the design was by God himself, that meant that it was holy, per see. That was the reason it could hold someone like Lucifer and the reason why no other demon, not even Alastor, would be able to even touch it.

No light could get in, no light could escape and there was no lock and no key. Impenetrable by all means.

Finishing up the incantation with a sly smirk, Alastor raised his microphone with both his hands, the dark cage floating into the air. Energy slowly gathered around it until with a shout, Alastor dropped his hands, the cage slamming into the ground with an almighty smash. It shook the ground for what felt like miles as the cage that encased the Devil was buried far far down into the pits of Hell.

Just as the cage solidified, the first spell faded, the pain that took over Lucifer's body became more tolerable as the regeneration ability started taking effect once again, wound healing and venom subsiding with his vibrancy returning. The shackles that bound Lucifer clattered as he found the strength to get up again, grabbing the bars with a low growl.

As the cage was raised, he watched Alastor with a deep hatred. As the cage was forcefully brought to the ground again, he reached out to the Radio Demon with a loud bellow, the ground closing over the prison.  
The echo of Lucifer quickly fading into a deafening silence.

Lucifer, the fallen archangel, had fallen even further. Never to be seen by another soul.

Alastor watched one fascination as Lucifer fell, his cry of defeat echoing out for a fair while before the silence indeed took over.  
It was a triumphant silence on Alastor's part, one that made him feel all too great.

But victory aside, that last spell especially had taken quite a lot out of Alastor. He was durable, of course, just as any demon was, and those spells were awfully draining.  
Falling to his knees with a sigh, Alastor let his head rest in his palms a moment. 

"It is done..." he muttered to himself, sticking the end of his microphone into the ground and using it to help pull himself up, his breathing labored slightly.


	25. Epilogue

The fight to banish the Devil from his own home, was one that was had never been attempted this well before.  
Alastors frame may have been hunched over in exhaustion, however his shadow told a whole other story. A being of its own, it loomed like a wicked curse over Alastor, the strong antlers of a deer protruding from the shadows head, ones that were much larger, twisted and sharper than the ones usually worn by the demon.  
A form that truly mirrored the Radio Demon, and a form that only very rarely made its psychical appearance outside of its confinements of a silhouette. 

With Lucifer caged deep within the inescapable pits of Hell, Alastor had no reason to stay here.  
He would not return.  
The foolish citizens in the far distance may have expected Lucifer to be dead, however...that wasn't exactly the case.

Encased in a cage of Gods own design, Lucifer would remain. He would neither be living in this Hell, nor would he be allowed the final release of death. In fact, not even somebody like Alastor could erase Lucifer entirely...he would always remain _somewhere_.  
A fallen angel turned devil. A being created by God, that could therefore only be destroyed by God. 

Perhaps Alastors rule over Hell would be temporary, or perhaps on the throne he would remain. But for now? Alastor had to convince. There were an abundance of demons back at the party who were about to be introduced to their new ruler...and Alastor had just the entrance in mind. 

Hell's most influential, powerful and notorious demons were all gathered in one place. If Alastor wanted to convince of the Devils death, then what better place to do so other than at what remained of the party. Once _they_ knew, the entirety of Hell knew. 

***

The Radio Demon. A killer who wore the blood of his victims with a stylish smile. 

The ballroom at the Magne Manor fell silent, prompted by the ring of static followed by all the lights flickering out.  
Just as Lucifer had done earlier, Alastor made sure to do it better. Today would be remembered. 

His thin frame stood in waiting at the top of the grand staircase, dangerous eyes glowing in the darkness.  
Upon his return to this mansion, Alastor had made sure to gather just three items. And those three items would be all he needed to convince. 

A tall white and red top hat, snake design and all, sat comfortably upon Alastors head as he took the first step down the grand stairs.  
The previously white jacket, now bloodstained down its entire left side, adorned his shoulders.  
And the cane. The apple. The Radio Demons hands gripped that cane all too eagerly, the little flame that had previously sat upon the apple on the cane had been extinguished since its last owner fell, however as Alastor made his way down that staircase, the flame slowly flickered to life again- but this time the fire was an eerie green. 

This was all he needed; all that was needed to convince Hell itself, in all of its burning misery. 

***

Not even minutes after the Radio Demons performance had concluded at the party, the news channels took great joy in spreading what was known to be true.  
It was a phenomenally breathtaking chaos that not even Alastor could have predicted. Entertainment like _that_ didn't come about often. And the Radio Demon, as he did, ate it all up with a grin. 

It took a while to get himself out of the manor, given the many demons that annoyingly bombarded him with questions, however, they would get their answers in due time...or not.  
Eventually, Alastor slunk into the shadows, his eyes opening to the familiar surroundings of his home. A congratulations was in order, no doubt. Angel had played his absolutely vital part so well and Alastor, truly, wanted to thank him. 

Up until this point, all of Alastor's plans and the consequences had been as clear as day to him. How Angel would lure the Devil in, how Alastor would execute his risky plans and how the two of them would return to Alastor's home that evening, basking in their victory. But that was... not the case. 

Alastor stood, his eyes wide in, dare he say, shock?  
He found himself searching the entirety of his home, as stupid as that was, but he had to be sure.  
And even as he looked for what felt like the millionth time, Alastor still found himself back in the spiders room. The empty room, might he add. 

Angel's room was void of any signs of life. Fat Nuggets was gone and all of the spiders belongings, despite how few there had been to begin with, they were not there.  
The static that had been surrounding Alastor cut out abruptly as his smile fell. It fell and his brows creased into a frown that painted unknown emotions across his pale face. Confusion and maybe... hurt? 

His mind _hurt_. His _chest_ hurt. And as he slammed the door of the arachnids former bedroom closed, he heard the loud smash of glass ring out behind him, the windows in the room not being able to hold out from Alastor's force.  
Alastor, as whole, was not usually an irrational being- he took careful time in his every actions for the most part, but this was certainly _not_ rational.

The Radio Demon hadn't the slightest clue, but now more than ever, Lucifer's words echoed in the back of his mind, like the buzz of a fly that just couldn't be killed. 

_'You care for him.'_

Managing to swat the thoughts for now, Alastor, in slight disarray, began his uncollected descent down the stairs.  
It was as his feet touched the last step though, that something in his mind clicked. _The letter._  
He didn't know what the rush was, there was no need for it, but regardless, Alastor was hasty in pulling the small piece of paper out of his pocket, quickly reading through. 

It said... it said... words he could not understand.  
And that was quite literal. 

Words of the Italian language hand written on the page stared mockingly back at him, ones that he could not read. If there was ever a time to let out a frustrated growl, then that was now.  
But even in his frustration, Alastor couldn't help but close his eyes, a small chuckle leaving his lips that were pressed up in a smirk. Of course. It was such an Angel thing to do.

Alastor moved into the lounge, letter held tightly in his hands as he sat down in his armchair, the bloodied clothes of Lucifer still around him.  
His eyes slowly studied the paper, reading over the foreign words again and again, still not knowing their true meaning. But that wasn't the issue. Alastor knew a demon who could translate the words in a second...the issue was the fact that it had just come down to a letter. Nothing more. 

Despite this surprise of the spiders  
disappearance, Alastor soon settled on the fact that it was okay.  
Whether the Radio Demon would ever encounter Angel Dust again, he wasn't sure.  
Their deal was complete and the arachnid had gained his freedom. They were business partners, not friends. And now that their business contact had ended... Alastor supposed that this _was_ the end. He'd gained what he wanted, and Angel in turn had received the same.  
Alastor would never forget it though. He would never forget it indeed...

Even even now, with the consolation that this was what Angel wanted, that letter still sat tightly in Alastors hands. And if you observed carefully, that paper could be seen perhaps shaking in the demons grip with an emotion truly foreign. The words still stared back at him.

_Grazie Alastor,  
Ti devo tutto per la tua pazienza e mostrandomi che sono molto più di una semplice troia._

_Lavoro a Mazie's se vuoi fermarti._

_M.G._

_-_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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